All about California’s Sargent Shriver Civil Counsel projects

UPDATE: California Judicial Council allocates $54 million to Shriver pilots

In July 2026, the California Judicial Council “approved $54 million in state funding allocated over the next three years to fund the Sargent Shriver Civil Counsel Act, which supports projects providing legal representation and improved court services for low-income parties on critical legal issues affecting basic human needs. These projects address housing, domestic violence, civil harassment, probate conservatorships, guardianships, elder abuse, and child custody matters.”

UPDATE: Shriver 2020 data released!

The Shriver projects released their latest report.  Key findings include: 

For Shriver clients, across the pilots:

• 67% settled (compared to 34% of non-Shriver clients)
• 3% resolved by trial (compared to 14% of non-Shriver clients)
• 8% ended by default (compared to 26% of non-Shriver clients)

For housing cases specifically, for Shriver clients:

• Default rate was 0% (compared to 40% on average)
• 3% ended with a formal eviction being entered
• 91% ended with the eviction record sealed
• 81% ended with the eviction not reported to a credit agency
• 71% ended with a neutral reference provided by the landlord.
• Shriver clients saved $900 more in reduced rent and other fees.
• One year post-eviction: 71% had obtained a new rental unit (compared to 43% of non-Shriver clients).
• In a randomized study of part of the Shriver project, Shriver tenants were 3 times less likely to default, about half as likely to pay holdover damages or attorney’s fees than pro se tenants, significantly more likely to raise a defense (84% vs. 60%), and saved almost $1,000 more in rent than pro se tenants.

Additional resources:

• A fact sheet on the results of the eviction representation project.
• NPC Research, Report to the California State Legislature for the Sargent Shriver Civil Counsel Act Evaluation (2020). CalMatters discussed the effectiveness of the Shriver projects as a part of the possible answer to the COVID-19 eviction crisis.

UPDATE: Shriver funding doubled!

AB 330, enacted in 2019, increased the funding for the Shriver projects by almost twofold.

UPDATE: Report on Shriver projects shows may positive results of representation

On July 28, 2017, the first report on the Shriver projects was released. The California Judicial Council issued a press release and a brief story in SFGate). The California Judicial Council also unanimously approved a third round of 3-year grants totaling $7.2 million.

Update: Shriver “pilots” are now permanent projects

The Shriver pilots were originally set to sunset after six years.  However, in June 2016 the Governor signed legislation making the Shriver pilots permanent.

Background

In October 2009, the Governor signed the “Sargent Shriver Civil Counsel Act”, which created pilot programs (Cal.Gov.Code § 68650) for the right to counsel in cases affecting basic human needs (such as domestic violence, deprivation of child custody, housing, and elder abuse). The bill’s findings stated that “Due to insufficient funding from all sources, existing programs providing free services in civil matters to indigent and disadvantaged persons, especially underserved groups such as elderly, disabled, children, and non-English-speaking persons, are not adequate to meet existing needs.”  It then stated that “Legal counsel shall be appointed to represent low-income parties in civil matters involving critical issues affecting basic human needs in those specified courts selected by the Judicial Council as provided in this section.”

The pilots, which cover housing, custody, and guardianship in eight different sites, began operation in 2012 and were subsequently featured in a New York Times article about the civil right to counsel movement.

We have more about the pilots in our bibliography.