The Role of the Courts in Providing Legal Services: A Proposal to Provide Legal Access for the Poor

In a legal system as complex as America's, representation by counsel is often necessary for an individual to fully enjoy the right of access to the courts. Yet the high cost of legal representation, necessary for the protection of legal rights and for the just administration of the legal system, often places such representation beyond the reach of the poor. In this Introduction to the Petition that follows, Talbot (Sandy) D'Alemberte outlines the basis of the right to access to the judicial system and suggests a procedure by which this right can be effectively realized.