Focus AreasThe Access to Justice Program is rooted in the belief that all people should have the ability to enforce their individual and civil rights, resolve disputes, and defend themselves against governmental abuses. However, the organizations that work to serve the legal needs of the most vulnerable members of U.S. society are simultaneously overburdened and underfunded.
The Access to Justice Program began in response to federal budget cutbacks in 1996 that slashed support for legal aid providers by one-third. In addition to this staggering financial blow, Congress imposed crippling restrictions on which clients legal aid lawyers may represent, what issues they can take on, and which legal strategies they may use. At the same time, Congress limited federal court jurisdiction to hear cases related to immigration, prison reform, and capital punishment.
The program seeks, therefore, to reinvigorate the civil legal aid community by challenging the restrictions imposed by Congress and strengthening the field's capacity to best represent the underserved communities that rely on it. The program's grants fund initiatives that boost public and financial support for civil legal aid, eliminate barriers to access justice, develop new approaches to the delivery of legal aid, and broaden the number of such service providers.
