Licensure as Pathway, Not Barrier

Abstract

Connecticut stands at a pivotal moment in addressing its access to justice crisis. Despite enacting a landmark civil right to counsel for tenants facing eviction, the state struggles to meet demand due to a shrinking attorney population and declining bar passage rates. This article argues that Connecticut should pair its Right to Counsel program (CT-RTC) with a supervised practice pathway to attorney licensure. Such a pathway would allow law graduates to demonstrate competence through structured coursework, supervised legal service, and portfolio assessment—offering a more equitable and practice-ready alternative to the traditional bar exam. Drawing on successful models from Oregon and national recommendations like the Lawyers’ Justice Corps, the proposed CT-RTC pathway would help stabilize and expand eviction defense services while creating a licensure route aligned with public service. The article contends that this approach would not only strengthen CT-RTC’s implementation but also diversify the legal profession and better protect the public. By leveraging its existing civil Gideon framework, Connecticut has a unique opportunity to lead national licensure reform. A pilot program linking supervised practice to licensure in eviction defense could serve as a scalable model for other public interest areas, ensuring that legal representation is both accessible and reflective of the profession’s evolving needs