In case you missed it, on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held its first hearing on the civil justice system in 15 years, titled “Closing the Justice Gap: How to Make the Civil Justice System Accessible to All Americans.” Access to justice experts testified about the Alaska Community Justice Worker (CJW) model, as an innovative, scalable and effective solution to the nation’s justice crisis.
Ronald Flagg, President of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), emphasized the justice gap experienced across America: In his testimony, he stated: “In a society where 92% of significant civil legal problems faced by low-income Americans receive no or inadequate assistance, the status quo in legal services delivery…should not be deemed acceptable.” Flagg then emphasized the transformative potential of the Alaskan CJW model. “LSC has invested in a promising innovation that has already shown tangible success — community justice workers. Community justice workers can provide assistance, especially in areas where legal professionals are sparse, such as remote or rural locales. These workers, often deeply integrated within their communities, can be trained to assist in designated areas of need and can provide effective assistance where attorneys are scarce or non-existent”
Nikole Nelson, CEO of Frontline Justice and former Executive Director of Alaska Legal Services Corporation (ALSC), explained how Alaska’s access to justice community recently broke new ground to address this crisis with the CJW model. Inspired by and developed in partnership with Alaska’s tribally operated health care system, the CJW program trains local community members to provide legal assistance within their communities. “The CJW model is about more than legal representation; it empowers communities and ensures equitable access to justice…We chose this route because we saw strong evidence that it could be effective and sustainable, and could scale up to meet the needs of our state’s people. Experience and solid empirical research show the safety, effectiveness, and positive impact of justice workers.”
To date, ALSC has recruited over 500 CJWs who have either completed or are currently taking training courses to provide civil legal services. They represent 47 different communities, many of which are off the road system and would otherwise be “legal deserts”.
This model has recently expanded to four additional states – Arizona, Montana, Minnesota, and Oklahoma – to serve tribal communities, thanks to Disaster relief funding and support from the Legal Services Corporation.
For more hearing information:
Watch the full hearing here and explore additional testimonies from access to justice experts:
- Written testimonies are also available from:
Further Reading:
