Category: Community Justice Workers

By Jovana Fitzgerald, PBI Law Clerk In August 2024, the Supreme Court of Georgia launched a committee to explore legal regulatory reform in an effort to address the significant civil justice gap in Georgia. After a year of research, the committee put forth its recommendations for measures to support low-income and rural Georgians. The Civil Justice Gap in Georgia In the South, more than 22 million individuals have household incomes that fall below 125 percent of the poverty threshold. In Georgia, more than 1.4 million people are considered below the poverty threshold. In 2023, Georgia courts saw more than 420,000

For the vast majority of Americans, hiring a lawyer simply isn’t an option. In addition to common financial barriers, Arizona ranks among the states with the lowest number of attorneys per capita, making access to legal representation especially problematic. Arizona is taking measures to bridge this growing divide through the creation of a community justice worker (CJW) and community legal advocate (CLA) program—a way for nonlawyers to help residents meet legal needs where representation is scarce or unattainable. The concept of community-based justice programs is not novel to the legal industry. As described by Frontline Justice, the leading non-partisan organization

Erin Palmer, Associate Director, Corporate Pro Bono In a significant development aimed at closing the access to justice gap, DC Courts are considering proposals to allow trained nonlawyers to provide legal assistance to residents facing civil legal challenges. This initiative aligns with similar efforts in multiple states, including Texas, where licensing of paraprofessionals and court-access assistants is being pursued as a means to better serve low-income individuals. Unlocking Legal Access A staggering 75-97% of people involved in certain civil cases in DC do not have legal representation, often due to high costs or a lack of available resources. Thousands of

Sarah Lahlou-Amine, Director, Law Firm Pro Bono Project® In a groundbreaking move aimed at addressing the widening gap in access to legal services, the Supreme Court of Texas has recently taken steps toward licensing paraprofessionals and court-access assistants to provide legal services to low-income individuals. This development marks a significant shift in the traditional legal landscape and builds on a growing movement to expand access to justice through the use of nonlawyer legal service providers. The Access to Justice Gap The “access to justice gap” refers to the disparity between the need for legal services and the ability of individuals