Addressing Access to Justice Through New Legal Service Providers: Opportunities and Challenges

Most informed observers of the Canadian and American legal systems accept the existence of a significant crisis in access to justice. Evidence shows growing numbers of self-represented litigants, inadequate support for legal aid, far more reported legal issues than there is access to affordable legal assistance, and costly legal services and legal processes out of reach of most middle- and low-income citizens. Bridging this “justice gap” has become the focus of modern access to justice reform efforts.