Access to Justice
A 2005 report issued by the District of Columbia Bar Foundation concluded that at least 90 percent of the civil legal needs of the District’s poor go unmet. The Access to Justice Commission was created in direct response, charged with breaking down the barriers to the civil justice system that confront the District’s low- and moderate-income residents.
For the past two years, the Commission has worked to create a comprehensive report documenting this need for legal services. DLA Piper lawyers assisted in drafting surveys completed by dozens of legal services providers, examined the data and conducted social science and legislative research. The Commission secured $3.2 million in District funding in 2007 and 2008 to provide more legal services in underserved areas. DLA Piper is now assisting the Commission in publishing the report.