This is LSC’s fourth Justice Gap study that documents the volume of civil legal needs faced by low-income Americans, assesses the extent to which they seek and receive help, and measures the shortfall between their civil legal needs and the resources available to address these needs. The deficit between resources and need is called the “justice gap.”
The new study reveals that the justice gap is vast. Low-income Americans received no or inadequate legal help for a staggering 92% of all the civil legal problems that impacted them substantially. These problems are widespread, with 74% of low-income households experiencing at least one in the past year, and 39% experiencing five or more.
Without access to legal aid, they are forced to “go it alone” without legal representation in disputes where they risk losing their jobs, their livelihoods, their homes, their children, or even when seeking a restraining order against an abuser. The 2022 Justice Gap Study from the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) provides a fresh assessment of the justice gap among low-income Americans in today’s America against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more about the report click here.
