The recent promulgation of a mandatory continuing legal education (CLE) requirement for Connecticut attorneys—and the issuance of the Report of the Task Force to Improve Access to Legal Counsel in Civil Matters, submitted to the Connecticut General Assembly—present the bar with an opportunity to respond to the need for pro bono legal assistance to low-income individuals in at least two areas involving essential human needs that do not require significant commitments of lawyers’ time: domestic violence, and summary process eviction actions.
Applications for temporary restraining orders in domestic violence cases are granted ex parte, but are effective for only 14 days, at which time respondents are entitled to a judicial hearing before the protective order can be extended. In most cases, the applicant appears pro se and must present evidence that complies with fairly specific statutory requirements, while challenging the testimony of his or her abuser. For that reason, extension of temporary restraining orders is often denied for failure to provide sufficient evidence.
