Improving Access to Justice Through Local Committees and a Statewide Commission

• Publication year: 2002
• Pages: 77

31 Colo.Law. 77 Colorado Lawyer 2002.

2002, October, Pg. 77. Improving Access to Justice Through Local Committees And a Statewide Commission

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77

Vol. 31, No. 10, Pg. 77

The Colorado Lawyer
October 2002
Vol. 31, No. 10 [Page 77]

Departments
Access to Justice
Improving Access to Justice Through Local Committees And a Statewide Commission
by David Butler

This month's article was written by David Butler, Chair of the Colorado Statewide Legal Services Planning Group - (303)295-8172, e-mail: dbutler@hollandhart.com

Readers interested in contributing an article on legal services, pro bono, and access to justice topics should contact Kathleen Gebhardt at kjgebhardt@att.net

Many people in Colorado work to improve access to justice for low-income and moderate-income persons. These include lawyers in private practice and on corporate staffs, judges, Colorado Legal Services lawyers, law school teachers, court personnel and leaders and volunteers of community groups. The Colorado Bar Association ("CBA"), with the support of the Colorado Supreme Court, is now seeking to improve access to justice through a special initiative. This article describes briefly the creation of local Access to Justice Committees ("Committees") and a statewide Access to Justice Commission ("Commission").

A special conference will be held on October 25, 2002, to discuss what these new entities can and should accomplish. "Access to Justice 2002" will convene at the University of Denver College of Law; CLE credits will be given for attendance. The organizers hope to both convey and receive a great deal of useful information and ideas on that day. More on this conference will be published in the December 2002 issue in this space.

The Meaning of "Access to Justice"

In this country, equal justice under the law is a fundamental principle, and most people believe this is achievable in practice. Nevertheless, equal justice often is not achieved because of the dramatic discrepancy among people at different economic and educational levels to obtain access to the justice system.

What does "access to justice" actually mean? It is not just getting the "right" or the "just" answer or remedy for a legal problem. An answer that is "just" in the eyes of all the parties is seldom attainable, no matter how much money or effort is expended in trying to secure it. Moreover, it is not correct to give "access to justice" a political connotation by defining it as...