How can Lawyers Support Access to Justice?
Access to justice means being able to participate in the justice system, exercise rights, and achieve just outcomes. It is important that all people who are subject to the justice system have access to justice.
Full access to justice requires a whole-system approach; the legal process is not the responsibility, nor within the capacity of individual lawyers. However, individual lawyers can make a significant difference in the lives of their clients and their communities and they can also advocate for fairer systems and policies.
Access to justice is not just legal aid or pro-bono work. It is a wide-ranging issue that includes legal aid, legal literacy, anti-discrimination policies, and much more.
Through various projects and initiatives, we’ve listened to many lawyers in the private and public sectors about how they are taking steps towards better access to justice in their clients and/or communities. Here are some of the insights we have heard over the years.
How can I support access to justice?
Know the supports available to help people navigate the justice system.
Familiarize yourself with the support available in your community. There are likely many organizations and agencies that can support your clients, such as Indigenous justice groups, identity-based justice groups, family supports, and legal information organizations.
Work on better communication with your clients.
Incorporating plain language into your practice is a simple and effective way to support access to justice for your clients.
Issues like literacy rates, disabilities, language skills, or client alienation and trauma should not pose a barrier to an individual’s ability to receive counsel. But unless you specifically take these issues into account when working with clients, simply providing representation may not be enough to ensure true access to justice. Practicing plain language helps to bridge this gap.
For more information about using plain language in emails, check out our post Re: Email Clients in Plain Language.
For more information about effective client interviews, check out our post Getting More from Client Interviews.
For insights about trauma-informed practice, consider listening to The Trauma Informed Lawyer.
Consider recurring, organized pro-bono work.
Pro-bono work is a great way to the reduce financial barriers to accessing justice. If it’s within your capacity, consider adding recurring pro-bono work to your schedule.
Reach out to your lawyer referral service about opportunities for impactful pro-bono work.
Support a community-based cause.
Or, consider providing volunteer legal advice to a charity or local community organization. Many community-based causes could use a lawyer’s services. Lawyers bring helpful skills to the table on issues such as human rights, poverty law, healthcare, LGBTQIA2S+ rights, housing, and student success, among others.
Lending your expertise to support the rights of a marginalized community can lead to better access to justice for that community.
Talk to other lawyers and service providers.
Talking openly about access to justice allows you to learn from others and share what you already know.
Advocate for fairer systems and policies where possible.
Does your province’s Law Society have an access to justice committee or task force? Get involved! This is both an opportunity for you to learn more about access to justice and to contribute to an important cause.