Major developments
This page lists all of the most recent developments on civil right to counsel across the country. These could be newly created rights to counsel, significant publications, public events, advocacy efforts, or other things that don't fit into a neat category.
Detroit is latest city to enact tenant right to counsel
05/23/2022
In May 2022, Detroit became the latest city to enact a right to counsel for tenants facing eviction.
Illinois creates immigration right to counsel task force
05/17/2022
An enacted 2022 bill creates a task force to study implementation of an immigration right to counsel, with a report due in 2023.
ACLU/NCCRC report flags eviction's harms, RTC's promise
05/11/2022
A joint report by the ACLU and NCCRC reviews the data on the widepsread consequences of evictions and right to counsel's impact on the problem.
Nebraska study reveals lawlessness of evictions, impact of counsel
05/11/2022
A new report found evictions in Lancaster County often violate the law and that counsel makes a huge difference.
New Orleans joins ranks of cities with tenant right to counsel
05/06/2022
In May 2022, the New Orleans City Council enacted an ordinance to provide a right to counsel for all tenants facing eviction.
Discretionary appointment of counsel
04/22/2022
A 2022 law changed appointment of counsel for birth parents in adoption cases from mandatory to discretionary.
Colorado adds right to counsel for older children in abuse/neglect cases
04/17/2022
In 2022, Colorado added the right to client-directed counsel for older children in abuse/neglect cases.
All about the right to counsel for evictions in NYC
04/17/2022
NYC is the first jurisdiction in the country to establish a right to counsel for low-income tenants in eviction cases, and is looking to expand.
Lakewood Ohio considering tenant right to counsel
04/17/2022
An ordinance introduced in Lakewood Ohio aims to make the city the third in Ohio to provide a right to counsel for tenants facing eviction.
St. Pete weighs right to counsel for tenants facing eviction
04/17/2022
The City of St. Pete is considering providing a right to counsel for tenants facing eviction.
All about Toledo's right to counsel for tenants facing eviction
04/15/2022
The City of Toledo has enacted legislation to guarantee counsel to low-income tenants facing eviction.
Maryland is second state with eviction right to counsel
04/05/2022
In May, Maryland became the second state to provide a statewide right to counsel for indigent tenants facing evictoin.
CityHealth focuses attention on tenant right to counsel
04/01/2022
CityHealth, which ranks cities on their policies, is making a push in conjunction with the NCCRC for cities to adopt a tenant right to counsel.
Multnomah County ballot initiative would establish eviction RTC
03/17/2022
A proposed ballot initiative for November 2022 would establish a right to counsel for Multnomah County tenants facing eviction.
New York bill would provide statewide right to counsel for tenants
03/10/2022
Building off of NYCs success, a new bill would guarantee counsel for low-income tenants across New York State in a variety of situations.
All about Boulder's eviction right to counsel
03/03/2022
In Nov 2020, voters in Boulder Colorado approved a ballot initiative establishing a right to counsel for tenants facing eviction.
MA high court avoids question of right to counsel in DV cases
02/18/2022
The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts declined to answer whether indigent defendants are entitled to counsel in protection order cases.
All about the right to counsel for tenants in San Francisco
02/03/2022
A ballot initiative passed in June 2018 guarantees counsel for San Francisco tenants in eviction cases regardless of income.
California high court working group calls for tenant right to counsel
02/02/2022
A report by a working group created by the Supreme Court of California Chief Justice calls for a statewide tenant right to counsel.
All about Cleveland's eviction right to counsel
02/01/2022
A bill guarantees counsel to Cleveland families with children facing eviction who are at or below 100% of the federal poverty level.
All about Philadelphia's eviction right to counsel
01/31/2022
The Philadelphia City Council has enacted a right to counsel for tenants.
NCCRC recognizes the eviction right to counsel movement's movers and shakers
01/14/2022
In January 2022, We celebrated the eviction right to counsel movement and its leaders.
Colorado appellate court recognizes right to counsel in contempt cases
01/06/2022
The Colorado Court of Appeals has ruled that indigent parents in child support contempt cases pursued by the government have a right to counsel.
Connecticut is third state with eviction right to counsel
12/30/2021
In May 2021, Connecticut became the third state to enact a statewide right to counsel for indigent tenants facing eviction.
MD high court: right to counsel for patients facing forced medication
12/17/2021
The Maryland Court of Appeals ruled that involuntarily committed patients objecting to medication have a right to counsel.
U.S. rank on access to civil justice in Rule of Law Index drops to 126th out of 139 countries
12/10/2021
The 2020 World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index ranked the U.S. 126th in the world on access to civil justice.
Kansas City is 13th city to guarantee counsel for tenants facing eviction
12/09/2021
Kansas City has enacted an ordinance guaranteeing counsel for all tenatns facing eviction regardless of income.
Legal services use fed. funds for tenant rep / right to counsel
11/17/2021
An increasing number of legal services programs have tapped a number of different federal funding pots to expand tenant representation.
Richmond VA eviction report reveals power of counsel
11/15/2021
A report from the RVA Eviction Lab finds Richmond eviction cases are incredibly short and that tenant counsel has a profound effect on outcomes.
WA report finds improved outcomes, cost savings w/kid counsel
11/15/2021
A new research report finds that children with counsel in child welfare cases have improved permanency outcomes and the State saves money.