Major developments

Waiver of a parent's right to counsel in child welfare cases now has to be knowing, voluntary, and intelligent, thanks to new legislation.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka announced a plan to introduce a bill to provide a right to counsel for tenants in evictions.

The Pennsylvania Superior Court held defendants have a right to appointed counsel prior to being incarcerated for failure to pay fees/fines.

A new 2018 law creates pilot programs that provide a right to counsel for parents in CHIPS cases in 5 counties.

A federal court held that a NJ township violated defendants' right to counsel in its handling of fees/fines cases.

A statute requires counsel for a child in a termination case unless their interests are adequately represented by another party.

An appellate court in New York held that trial courts cannot impute income in determining whether a person is entitled to appointed counsel.

A statute enacted in 2016 and amended in 2018 requires counsel for a parent in a juvenile court private termination of parental rights case.

New reports by the Center for Social Innovation and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty support a right to counsel in evictions.

A new report by the ACLU looks at the collection of private debt and the need for counsel to protect debtors from incarceration.

A bill passed in 2018 guarantees counsel for proceedings to determine the need for sexually violent predator registration.

A bill would change the law to make appointment of counsel for indigent parents in private termination of parental rights mandatory.

A new ABA resolution, authored by the NCCRC, calls for a right to counsel whenever physical liberty is at stake.

A proposed bill would guarantee counsel when a body attachment to detain a tenant for failing to pay a money judgment to a landlord.

A King County WA ordinance enacted in 2018 provides a right to counsel for families of police violence victims at inquest proceedings.

A proposed constitutional amendment would have guaranteed counsel for all Florida dependent children, but it did not make it out of committee.

A new decision from the Supreme Court of Ohio creates a stronger standard for waiver of a parent's right to counsel in the termination context.

A bill would require the appointment of counsel for immigrants in various kinds of immigration proceedings.

An updated uniform act improves the right to counsel for adult wards in guardianship proceedings.

A Massachusetts trial court ordered the appointment of an attorney ad litem in a housing eviction case.

This bill would require counsel for an indigent higher education student subject to disciplinary proceeding due to allegation of a crime.

Two bills would create a pilot project where parents in certain counties would have a right to counsel in dependency cases.

A new DV representation pilot follows a recommendation of the legislative Task Force to Improve Access to Counsel in Civil Matters.

A new ballot initiative would guarantee counsel for San Francisco tenants in eviction cases.

A study found represented immigrants are 12 times more likely to avoid deportation. The study is tied to a project to expand representation.

The City of Los Angeles is exploring whether to enact an ordinance providing a right to counsel in housing court similar to New York City.

A Wisconsin case raises the issue of right to counsel when pregnant women are civilly committed for alleged child endangerment.

A case in the Pennsylvania Superior Court will address a defendant's right to counsel prior to incarceration for failure to pay fees/fines.

NCCRC collaborated on a report to a UN Rapporteur urging the recognition of a right to counsel in civil cases as a way of combatting poverty.

A report by several subcommittees of the Delaware Access to Justice Commission urges recognition of a right to counsel for more civil cases.