Access to Justice Best in D.C. and Massachusetts, Worst in Mississippi and Wyoming

The District of Columbia and Massachusetts rank the highest when it comes to access to justice, while Mississippi and Wyoming are at the bottom.

News Story (NATIONAL)

Karen Sloan
National Law Journal
May 10, 2016
READ THE FULL STORY

Tags: Access to Justice, Justice for All

Organizations mentioned/involved: National Center for Access to Justice (NCAJ) at Fordham Law School

---

DETAILS

“The biggest story in Justice Index 2016 is about the progress courts are making to help people without lawyers,” said David Udell, executive director of the center, which is housed at Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

“Nothing replaces the role of a lawyer, but with judicial leadership, many states are pursuing common-sense reforms to help poor Americans in civil cases.”

For example, 44 states now allow people to file court forms electronically. Nearly half of all states, 23, allow judges to help people represent themselves in court. And 20 states now encourage the use of plain English in the courtroom, rather than legalese.