Issue Brief: Civil Right to Counsel in Eviction Cases (2023)

Issue Brief: Civil Right to Counsel in Eviction Cases

The California Access to Justice Commission is strongly in favor of increasing access to justice by promoting and enacting local and statewide “right to counsel” laws in unlawful detainer proceedings.

About this report

Published in April 2023 by the California Access to Justice Commission with the Legal Aid Association of California, this issue brief explains the “civil right to counsel”: the idea that people facing serious civil legal problems should have a lawyer even if they can't afford one. It focuses on eviction (unlawful detainer) cases and explains how the right to counsel differs in civil and criminal cases. It also explains why the Commission strongly supports local and statewide right-to-counsel laws for tenants facing eviction.

Published by the California Access to Justice Commission · Policy Reports & Recommendations · PDF, 13 pages