Public Involvement in Legal Reform.

• Position: Brief Article

The number of state and local justice reform projects that enlist the aid of non-lawyers has increased from 34 in 1995 to 208 today, according to a report from the American Bar Association. "Justice Initiatives: The Courts, the Bar and the Public Working to Improve the Justice System" is based on a survey of chief justices of state supreme courts and presidents of state and local bar associations. It shows that bars and courts conduct a wide variety of justice improvement activities--1,106 in all.

Of these, the report identifies three categories of "justice initiatives" involving non-lawyers: 29 futures commissions anticipating long-term scenarios for the system; 129 justice commissions--ongoing general or specific activities developing solutions to justice problems; and 50 citizen conferences--forums generating two-way communication with non-lawyers.

The initiatives include improving access to justice for lower-income people; providing public...