Documenting the Justice gap in America:
The Current Unmet Civil Legal Needs of Low-Income Americans

Legal Services Corporation (LSC)

On September 30, 2005, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) released “Documenting the Justice Gap in America: The Current Unmet Civil Legal Needs of Low-Income Americans,” a report that concludes that at least 80 percent of the civil legal needs of low-income Americans are not being met. The report was a culmination of a year-long study by LSC to document the extent to which current civil legal needs of low-income Americans are not being met.

The Report suggests that in the United States...

  • There is one legal aid attorney for 6,861 low-income persons.
    By contrast, the ratio of attorneys delivering civil legal assistance to the general population is approximately one for every 525 persons, or thirteen times more.

  • At least 80 percent of the civil legal needs of low-income Americans are not being met.

  • 50 percent of the eligible people seeking assistance from LSC-funded programs in areas in which programs provide service are being turned away for lack of program resources.

View the full report...


Disclaimer

The materials contained on this website are for information and educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice.  Also please note that Legal Aid of North Carolina does not provide legal assistance by E-mail. Contact your Legal Aid of North Carolina office or a private attorney if you need to speak to an attorney regarding your particular situation.
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Mission Statement

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity.

 

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