More than 5 million low-income and vulnerable Texans qualify for legal aid in Texas. According to the Legal Services Corporation’s Justice Gap Report, in one year, 74% of low-income households will experience at least one civil legal aid problem. These problems include securing and protecting basic needs, such as housing, education, health care, income and safety. And yet, these low-income Americans do not get any or enough legal help for 92% of their substantial civil legal problems. The result is an urgent gap between the need for legal help and available legal resources.
Due to the complexity of the access to justice problem, the Commission’s work is necessarily multi-faceted. The Commission works closely with its access to justice partners at bar associations, legal services organizations, non-profits, courts and other community partners to generate and implement solutions. These solutions include policy initiatives, resource development, and increasing awareness and education.