The Right to Counsel for Tenants Who Face Eviction: The Time is Right

In 2017, New York City became the first jurisdiction in the United States to establish a right to counsel for tenants who face eviction (RTC). Three states and 9 localities have established RTC since 2017 and there are campaigns for RTC in several additional states and dozens of localities. 

This program will discuss the contemporary national movement for the right to counsel for tenants who face eviction. The program will cover the origins, history, and growth of the RTC movement, the legal and policy justifications for (and against) establishing the right, and the issues involved in drafting legislation and designing and implementing effective programs. This program will be of interest to attorneys who are interested in the expansion of access to justice and human and civil rights and will be particularly useful for attorneys and policymakers in jurisdictions contemplating establishing the right.   

Learning Objectives:  

1. Discuss the growing movement for a right to counsel for tenants facing eviction in its historic and contemporary context

2. Identify the legal and policy arguments for and against the right to counsel in evictions

3. Assess the range of legislative approaches and discern which are both effective and practical

4. Analyze the issues involved in program design and implementation