Opinion ID: 1634097
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: By U.S. Supreme Court

Text: Equal justice hinges on all Arkansans being empowered to make their case in a court of law, not only in criminal cases but also in civil matters. Most often, people retain an attorney to make their case for them. Across the nation, however, a growing number of litigants now choose to represent themselves in civil matters. While the reasons vary, most represent themselves because they cannot afford an attorney. When people with limited income and education face a corporation or government agency without representation because they cannot afford an attorney, equal justice under the law can quickly become an unfulfilled promise. Some 16% of Arkansans live below the federal poverty level, compared to 12.4% nationally. In nine Delta counties, more than 25% of the population lives in poverty. One-quarter of Arkansas adults lack a high school diploma, compared to 20% nationwide. Not only is justice not served when self-represented litigants are unprepared, but these individuals also affect the functioning of the courts. Not surprisingly, the increase in self-represented litigants is occurring at the same time that funding for legal services for the poor is declining. The National Council of State Courts, the American Judicature Society, the American Bar Association, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association and other national organizations have addressed the causes and consequences of barriers that impede access as well as strategies to improve access to justice in the civil legal system. In response, many states have created a broadly representative commission or similar entity to coordinate efforts to improve access to the civil justice system for poor and near-poor individuals who cannot afford attorneys. These commissions achieve their goals in part by bringing together leaders from the judiciary, private bar, advocacy community, academia, legal services and other interests who share a commitment to improving access to the civil legal system as a means to fulfilling the promise of equal justice under law. Their approaches range from reinvigorating pro bono programs to generating new resources for legal services to developing pro se materials to simplifying court procedures and forms.