A new study shows that just 1 percent of more than 500,000 civil cases handled in Virginia's general district courts each year have lawyers representing people on both sides.
News Story (Virginia)
Associated Press (AP)
May 4, 2018
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Tags: Access to Justice, Unrepresented litigants
Organizations mentioned/involved: National Center for State Courts (NCSC), Blue Ridge Legal Services (BRLS) (Virginia), Central Virginia Legal Aid Society
News Story (Virginia)
Associated Press (AP)
May 4, 2018
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Tags: Access to Justice, Unrepresented litigants
Organizations mentioned/involved: National Center for State Courts (NCSC), Blue Ridge Legal Services (BRLS) (Virginia), Central Virginia Legal Aid Society
DETAILS
The study also showed that where poverty rates are high, so is the rate of litigants who don’t have lawyers.
The study was conducted by The National Center for State Courts. It reviewed Virginia court data from April 2015 through March 2016.
“When only one side has an attorney and the other side doesn’t, then the system becomes dysfunctional, it’s a stilted playing field,” said John Whitfield, executive director of Blue Ridge Legal Services, which provides civil legal help to low-income residents.