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Access to Justice

501 ABA Journal Access to Justice articles.

How tough-on-crime policies shift the burden to public defenders

Across the country, criminal justice policy is undergoing yet another pendulum swing. After over a decade of reform efforts focused on decarceration and diversion, states are now reembracing the all-too-familiar tough-on-crime approaches.

Nov 24, 2025 1:55 PM CST

Man accused of fatal shooting after release on unrelated charges because of lack of appointed lawyers

A Boston man has been charged with murder less than a month after unrelated charges against him were dropped because of a lack of court-appointed lawyers.

Nov 19, 2025 11:58 AM CST

Law firms see ‘sharp spike’ in demand in third quarter, report says

Demand for legal services increased 3.9% in the third quarter of 2025, a “sharp spike” that made it the fourth-highest quarter for demand in two decades, according to a report based on data from major law firms in the United States and key international markets.

Nov 13, 2025 2:13 PM CST

How in-house counsel are increasingly turning to generative AI

Generative artificial intelligence has changed the practice and business of law in a short amount of time, and that’s especially been the case for in-house counsel.

Nov 12, 2025 9:19 AM CST

About 40 court-appointed defense lawyers in 1 state refuse new cases; shutdown also affects local DC courts

The government shutdown affecting court-appointed lawyers in federal cases is now being felt in Washington, D.C., where money is running out for private attorneys representing indigent defendants in local courts.

Nov 6, 2025 9:39 AM CST

A primer on artificial intelligence, part 2

Previously, I spoke about how artificial intelligence has been here for a long time and how lawyers can use it to help them practice law and run their firms more efficiently. Now, we will focus on how lawyers can use AI well and integrate it into their practice, as well as what they can expect in the future.

Nov 3, 2025 9:22 AM CST

C-suite executives use generative AI, tech adoption and training to shape next generation of legal services

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Olivia Mockel, the chief brand and market strategy officer at SurePoint Technologies; Debbie Foster, the CEO of the Affinity Consulting Group; and Laura Wenzel, the global marketing and insights director at iManage.

Oct 28, 2025 9:03 AM CDT

Justice by Design: Can legal tech deliver on its promise?

Justice can be defined as the quality of being impartial or fair. In practice, fairness has never been evenly distributed. Access to justice has always been available to those who can afford it, while those without the necessary means were often left to their own devices. That unfortunate reality reflects inherent inequity; when only the wealthiest in a society can afford legal representation, injustice inevitably follows.

Oct 24, 2025 11:05 AM CDT

Federal judge’s decision tossing youths’ climate lawsuit had ‘silver lining’

A federal judge had some good news for 22 youths in his Oct. 15 decision dismissing their lawsuit seeking to block President Donald Trump’s executive orders promoting fossil fuels.

Oct 21, 2025 9:25 AM CDT

ABA 2025 Celebration of Pro Bono to focus on supporting communities

Lawyers and law firms across the country will participate in volunteer events Oct. 19-25 as part of the National Celebration of Pro Bono. This year’s theme is "Supporting Communities."

Oct 15, 2025 12:30 PM CDT

Contractual caseload quotas force Oregon public defenders ‘to operate beyond their ethical capacity,’ suit says

A new state contract for organizations providing public defender services in Oregon has an unenforceable quota provision for caseloads that would often make it impossible for defense lawyers to do their jobs, according to a lawsuit filed Sept. 30.

Oct 9, 2025 9:31 AM CDT

Illinois moves toward approving nonlawyers to offer limited legal advice

In an effort to increase access to justice, Illinois is moving toward developing a program to allow certified nonlawyers to offer limited legal advice under the supervision of a licensed attorney.

Oct 3, 2025 1:51 PM CDT

Utah announces skills-based path to law licensure

Last week, the Utah Supreme Court approved a new process that requires candidates to perform 240 hours of post-graduation supervised practice, complete specific skills-based coursework, and pass a new one-day written test.

Oct 2, 2025 3:50 PM CDT

Nikole Nelson champions a national model to bring legal services to those without access

Nikole Nelson spent much of her career trying to close the justice gap in Alaska. As the executive director of Alaska Legal Services Corp., Nelson helped provide free civil legal aid to low-income residents in about a dozen communities across the state. But Nelson and her team encountered many other people they couldn’t assist because of a lack of resources.

Oct 1, 2025 12:35 AM CDT

Utah contracts with former federal defender chief to represent suspect in Charlie Kirk shooting death

Utah County has hired a private lawyer with significant criminal defense experience to represent the man accused of fatally shooting conservative political activist Charlie Kirk.

Sep 26, 2025 9:59 AM CDT

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