Read Our 2019-2023 Impact Report
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Read Our 2019-2023 Impact Report -
Ensuring equal access to civil legal assistance for all South Carolinians.
In three out of four state civil cases across the nation today, one or both parties go to court alone, unrepresented by an attorney. The South Carolina Access to Justice Commission was created in January of 2007 in recognition of the need to expand access to civil legal representation for people of low income and modest means.
Justice for all.
Our mission is to facilitate collaboration that ensures equal access to civil legal assistance for all South Carolinians. The Commission is charged with identifying the scope of the need for civil legal services, and developing a long-term plan for ensuring that every person who needs representation can get it.
Our mission.
“Equal justice under law is not merely a caption on the facade of the Supreme Court building; it is perhaps the most inspiring ideal of our society. It is one of the ends for which our entire legal system exists…it is fundamental that justice should be the same, in substance and availability, without regard to economic status.”
— Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr.
Our efforts are organized around seven core objectives:
I.
Assess the essential civil legal needs of South Carolinians of low income and modest means
II.
Foster collaboration among stakeholders and legal service providers.
III.
Support increased funding and efficient use of resources to expand access to justice.
IV.
Support programs and resources to assist self-represented litigants.
V.
Encourage greater voluntary participation by members of the bar in pro bono legal service.
VI.
Promote education and outreach about the gap in civil legal services.
VII.
Recommend new initiatives and technology to expand civil access to justice.
The American Bar Association and the Legal Services Corporation define “justice gap” as the difference between the civil legal needs of low-income Americans and the resources available to meet those needs.
There is a justice gap in South Carolina.
