Unrepresented litigants – Voices for Civil Justice

Study shows large justice gap in Virginia civil cases

News Story (Virginia)

Study shows large justice gap in Virginia civil cases

May 4, 2018 | Associated Press (AP)
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.
Tags: Access to Justice | Unrepresented litigants

Study finds ‘stunning’ justice gap in Virginia civil cases

News Story (Virginia)

Study finds ‘stunning’ justice gap in Virginia civil cases

May 3, 2018 | Frank Green | Richmond Times-Dispatch
The high volume of cases moves efficiently through courtrooms that often are largely empty - in large part because usually only the plaintiffs have a lawyer and often even the defendants do not appear and represent themselves.
Tags: Access to Justice | Unrepresented litigants

ArchCity Defenders makes guide to help people maneuver legal system

News Story (Missouri)

ArchCity Defenders makes guide to help people maneuver legal system

April 22, 2018 | Marissanne Lewis-Thompson | St. Louis Public Radio
A non-profit civil rights law firm wants to help people help themselves when they’re in legal trouble.
Tags: Pro Bono | Unrepresented litigants

Whitfield: Poor and Locked Out of Our Civil Justice System

Op-Ed (Virginia)

Whitfield: Poor and Locked Out of Our Civil Justice System

April 15, 2018 | John Whitfield | News and Advance
Only by attacking this problem from all angles will we be able to make the promise of “Justice for All” a reality for low-income Virginians.
Tags: Courts | Funding: State & Local | Unrepresented litigants

Tough odds for defendants in Virginia’s lowest courts

News Story (Virginia)

Tough odds for defendants in Virginia’s lowest courts

April 5, 2018 | Dave Ress | Daily Press (Newport News, VA)
When Virginians' unpaid bills, family crises or disputes with neighbors land them in one of the state's lowest courts, almost none of them has the help of a lawyer, a study of state records found.
Tags: Courts | Pro Se/Self-Help | Unrepresented litigants