By Jennifer Pei, PBI Intern
On February 5, 2026, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals filed a court order, authorizing the establishment of a Community Justice Worker (CJW) framework in D.C. This order opens the door to increased innovation in efforts to reduce the justice gap.
The Legal Services Corporation reports 92% of Americans do not receive sufficient legal help for their civil issues. By performing certain duties previously limited to legal professionals, CJWs can increase access to legal aid for low-income communities.
What are Community Justice Workers?
CJWs are not lawyers. Instead, they are community members who volunteer their time to provide legal services to individuals in need. Community members who become CJWs are those who already interact with potential clients through their everyday jobs. They can come from a variety of professions, from social workers to law students to even librarians. CJWs receive specialized training that prepares them to navigate civil issues for individuals. While unable to directly represent clients, CJWs may contribute legal assistance such as drafting legal documents, giving legal advice, and other limited support in particular subject areas.
D.C.’s Community Justice Worker Program
The recent order filed by the D.C. Court of Appeals is several years in the making. As the PBEye blog reported, in 2023, the D.C. Courts established the Civil Regulatory Task Force to research how non-legal professionals could get involved in providing civil legal help to the unrepresented. After two years of exploration, the Task Force completed its report in July 2025, summarizing their findings and proposing three recommendations to the Courts. One of these recommendations was that the D.C. Courts establish frameworks for CJW programs.
In fall 2025, the D.C. Courts requested public comment on the recommendations. PBI showed support for the Task Force’s proposal by submitting a comment in October of 2025 stating, “…the people of D.C. face a staggering access to justice crisis with countless residents being unable to obtain the legal help they need due to limited resources. We believe that CJWs — trained, supervised, and embedded in trusted organizations — offer a practical and innovative solution.”
After receiving more than 200 comments from the public, including PBI’s, the D.C. Courts subsequently filed their February 2026 order. Effective April 6, 2026, a new exception to the Unauthorized Practice of Law Rule will authorize CJWs. The rule, D.C. App. R. 49(c)(14), will formally add a legal framework for CJW programs, establishing explicit definitions, duties, and responsibilities of a CJW. Under the supervision of attorneys, these trained CJWs will be able to provide legal assistance on behalf of approved legal services providers. CJWs in D.C. will be able to conduct administrative tasks, offer technical assistance, and provide basic legal advice. The new rule restricts CJWs from deposing or conducting any evidentiary hearing or trial for their client. Aside from individuals in poor standing with the D.C. Bar Association, any nonlawyer is eligible to receive training as a CJW.
Other Task Force recommendations also adopted by the D.C. Courts include a further study into Licensed Legal Practitioner programs and encouragement from the D.C. Courts for organizations to explore more legal service avenues for nonlawyers. Together, all three initiatives are intended to serve the D.C. community and close the justice gap by increasing access to cost-free legal aid.
A Growing National Initiative
CJW programs or similar initiatives have slowly gained national traction following the 2019 implementation of the first CJW framework in Alaska, which took inspiration from tribal community health aid models. Arizona followed suit with a 2020 court order to allow for a CJW program in two practice areas, domestic violence and housing stability. Other models and pilot programs have also begun to take shape within the past few years in states such as Delaware, Hawaii, Utah, and Texas. States, such as Montana, California, and Illinois are in the midst of developing similar initiatives as well. The District of Columbia will join the few jurisdictions to actually carve legal space for CJW programs in their existing statutes.
Public support for CJW programs fuels the push for states to create their own solutions to the justice gap through nonlawyers. The D.C. Task Force found that approximately 86% of D.C. community members who responded to their survey supported frameworks to expand who can provide legal assistance. Organizations, such as Frontline Justice, provide resources and networks for CJWs. Frontline Justice has also been the leader in mobilizing states to adopt CJW programs.
Currently, between 75 to 97% of high-stakes civil cases in D.C. – including family law, domestic violence, benefits, probate, and consumer matters – involve an unrepresented party. With the enactment of the new D.C. court order, low-income community members will see an increase in access to legal aid through the means of CJWs. This monumental development for legal services providers is a tremendous step forward in bridging the justice gap in both the District of Columbia and nationwide.