LET’S UNITE TO CLOSE THE JUSTICE GAP — ONCE AND FOR ALL

Tens of millions of Americans suffer from a hidden crisis of civil justice. But there is hope in a big and unifying new idea: the community justice worker.
Community justice workers are frontline helpers like shelter volunteers, faith leaders, community health workers and others who are trained to give their community critical legal help on everyday issues that lawyers aren’t providing.
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LET’S UNITE TO CLOSE THE JUSTICE GAP —ONCE AND FOR ALL

Tens of millions of Americans suffer from a hidden crisis of civil justice. But there is hope in a big and unifying new idea: the justice worker.
Join the Movement

LET’S UNITE TO CLOSE THE JUSTICE GAP —ONCE AND FOR ALL

Tens of millions of Americans suffer from a hidden crisis of civil justice. But there is hope in a big and unifying new idea: the justice worker.
Join the Movement

The opportunity to become a Community Justice WorkeR was a no brainer.”

Jen Paninagar Kiokun, a Community Justice Worker and member of the Qutekcak tribe in Alaska, helps people in her community access Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which provide food assistance to families, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
Jen Paninagar Kiokun
Seward, Alaska
In November 2022 the Alaska Supreme Court was the first in the country to authorize a waiver that allows Community Justice Workers that are trained and supervised by Alaska Legal Services Corporation (ALSC) to provide legal advice and representation without a law license. Through this program and its work ALSC has helped Alaska residents access $5.5M in SNAP benefits, ending months-long delays in distribution.

The opportunity to become a Community Justice WorkeR was a no brainer.”

Jen Paninagar Kiokun, a Community Justice Worker and member of the Qutekcak tribe in Alaska, helps people in her community access Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which provide food assistance to families, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
Jen Paninagar Kiokun
Seward, Alaska
In November 2022 the Alaska Supreme Court was the first in the country to authorize a waiver that allows Community Justice Workers that are trained and supervised by Alaska Legal Services Corporation (ALSC) to provide legal advice and representation without a law license. Through this program and its work ALSC has helped Alaska residents access $5.5M in SNAP benefits, ending months-long delays in distribution.

The opportunity to become a Community Justice WorkeR was a no brainer.”

Jen Paninagar Kiokun, a Community Justice Worker and member of the Qutekcak tribe in Alaska, helps people in her community access Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which provide food assistance to families, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
Jen Paninagar Kiokun
Seward, Alaska

Members of my community are shut out from ways to vindicate their own rights”

The Reverend John Udo-Okon is a pastor and Justice Advocate in the South Bronx, which has among the highest poverty and unemployment rates in New York. His assistance to community members’  debt collection cases is in addition to running a mobile food pantry and  other social and pastoral services.
Reverend John Udo-Okon
South Bronx, New York
Reverend John is a plaintiff in a civil rights lawsuit against New York State, Upsolve v. James, which challenges New York’s unauthorized practice of law (UPL) statute on First Amendment grounds. In 2022, a district court judge authorized him to begin helping people with debt collection cases with training and support from the nonprofit Upsolve while the case is on appeal in the Second Circuit.

Members of my community are shut out from ways to vindicate their own rights”

The Reverend John Udo-Okon is a pastor and Justice Advocate in the South Bronx, which has among the highest poverty and unemployment rates in New York. His assistance to community members’  debt collection cases is in addition to running a mobile food pantry and  other social and pastoral services.
Reverend John Udo-Okon
South Bronx, New York
Reverend John is a plaintiff in a civil rights lawsuit against New York State, Upsolve v. James, which challenges New York’s unauthorized practice of law (UPL) statute on First Amendment grounds. In 2022, a district court judge authorized him to begin helping people with debt collection cases with training and support from the nonprofit Upsolve while the case is on appeal in the Second Circuit.

Increasing access to difficult systems through a familiar language is critical.”

Rachel Wagner is the Spanish-speaking Support Specialist at the Massachusetts Trial Court Service Center. The first person litigants encounter when they arrive, Rachel works to make the court an accessible and equitable environment for dozens of court users every day.
Rachel Sylvia Wagner
Boston, Massachusetts
Social justice organizations like the Court Service Centers (CSCs) have increasingly prioritized hiring staff members with a wide variety of language skills to cater to the demographics of the public. Be it Spanish, Haitian Creole, or Vietnamese, the CSC is part of a larger justice effort to make systems more accessible for non-native English speakers, combating systems that disadvantage people of color and those in poverty.

Members of my community are shut out from ways to vindicate their own rights”

The Reverend John Udo-Okon is a pastor and Justice Advocate in the South Bronx, which has among the highest poverty and unemployment rates in New York. His assistance to community members’  debt collection cases is in addition to running a mobile food pantry and  other social and pastoral services.
Reverend John Udo-Okon
South Bronx, New York
Reverend John is a plaintiff in a civil rights lawsuit against New York State, Upsolve v. James, which challenges New York’s unauthorized practice of law (UPL) statute on First Amendment grounds. In 2022, a district court judge authorized him to begin helping people with debt collection cases with training and support from the nonprofit Upsolve while the case is on appeal in the Second Circuit.

Latest News

LSC's Recent Deep Dive on the United States Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled “Closing the Justice Gap: How to Make the Civil Justice System Accessible to All Americans.”

August 23, 2024

Grace Stewart of LSC’s Emerging Leaders Council recently published a deep dive on the United States Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled “Closing the Justice Gap: How to Make the Civil Justice System Accessible to All Americans.” Click below to read an analysis of the four testimonies given by stakeholders: Legal Services Corporation President Ronald Flagg; board member and former client of Legal Aid Chicago Veronica Gonzalez; Chief Justice Nathan Hecht of the Supreme Court of Texas; and Nikole Nelson, CEO of Frontline Justice.

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Connect, collaborate and share insights at our monthly virtual Community Café, bringing together community justice workers, their allies, and anyone passionate about improving access to justice. Each Community Café features a guest speaker followed by interactive breakout sessions for in-depth discussions and collective brainstorming.
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