Vol. 32, No. 1, 2. Access to Justice - A National Perspective.

• Author: By Leigh Anne G. Manlove

Wyoming Bar Journal

2009.

Vol. 32, No. 1, 2.

Access to Justice - A National Perspective

Wyoming Lawyer Issue: February, 2009 Access to Justice - A National Perspective By Leigh Anne G. Manlove

The phrase "access to justice" has, over the last decade, developed great meaning within the legal community. Simply stated, access to justice is the idea that all people, regardless of their ability to pay, should be able to seek legal redress. More often than any of us should be comfortable with(fn1), that ideal gives way to the reality that those who cannot afford a lawyer are barred from the courthouse. The Access to Justice (ATJ) movement grew out of this tension - reconciling the ideals of our profession and our system with the barriers that confront the people for whom the system exists. Among states(fn2) that have created formal mechanisms for addressing barriers to the legal system, like an Access to Justice Commission, significant improvements and accomplishments have been achieved, including: increased funding, improved quality of delivery, increased service levels, improved involvement of attorneys, judges and the public, coordinated effort by providers (thereby minimizing duplicative efforts and better utilizing resources) and ultimately, a better outcome for the clients. In order to achieve these results, there had to be a deep and meaningful change-the kind of change that could only come from an Access to Justice Commission.

According to the final report of the Wisconsin Access to Justice Committee,(fn3) "a key element of a successful campaign for change is a broad-based coalition of influential leaders across the state, including state agencies, the legal profession, legal service providers, law schools, industry, and the citizenry, with significant leadership from the courts, the legislature, the governor's office, and the bar."

These Access to Justice entities, charged with evaluating the system, improving its deficiencies and maintaining its core functions, actually work. These aren't just groups of bleeding hearts standing in a circle singing Kumbaya - they are people who make things happen. In states as different geographically as they are politically, concrete changes happened when an ATJ group advocated for it. In Illinois and in New Mexico, legislative inroads were made that resulted in substantial increases...