POL AMER 2147 - Law & The Courts

"According to an ISBA resolution, half of one million Iowans live at or below 125% of the poverty line. The ISBA resolution further states that at least one million more Iowans have difficulty affording a lawyer to handle basic legal needs. The ISBA resolution is consistent with a June 2017 Legal Services Corporation study, which found that low income Americans received inadequate or no legal help for 86% of their legal problems. Yet, as United States Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr., noted during his tenure as president of the American Bar Association, 'it is fundamental that justice should be the same, in substance and availability, without regard to economic status.' … The Report that follows contains both recommendations and goals."

"The mission of the Iowa Access to Justice Commission is to find solutions that will best serve Iowans who may encounter barriers to or difficulties with fully accessing Iowa’s civil justice system. ...
In light of the urgent need to enhance access to justice for all Iowans, the Iowa Supreme Court established the Commission in 2016. In the order establishing the Commission, Chief Justice Cady noted: 'Iowa courts are seeing an increasing number of self-represented litigants, many of whom have no choice but to proceed without the assistance of counsel. Inability to afford the cost of legal representation and other barriers to access to justice unfairly impact the lives of too many Iowans. Despite the outstanding contributions from legal aid organizations in Iowa and the steadfast volunteer service of thousands of committed Iowa attorneys, Iowa must do more to assure meaningful and informed access to justice for all persons.'"

"The mission of the Iowa Access to Justice Commission is to find solutions that will best serve Iowans who may encounter barriers to or difficulties with fully accessing Iowa’s civil justice system. ...
The pressing need to address access to justice issues in Iowa continues unabated. As noted in previous Commission reports, The Iowa State Bar Association (ISBA) estimated in 2015 that more than one million Iowans have difficulty affording an attorney to handle basic legal needs. Yet, as United States Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr. noted during his tenure as President of the American Bar Association, 'it is fundamental that justice should be the same, in substance and availability, without regard to economic status.'”

"After a year of study, the Task Force has concluded that there are short-term and long-term steps the court should consider to address the needs of Iowans involved in family law matters. The short-term recommendations are intended to address the need for greater uniformity and streamlined processes in family law cases. Longer-term recommendations primarily focus on access to justice and are those that require additional study and public input."

[See page 11 for Iowa statistics, see also Chapter 3 “Lawyers by State”, Chapter 7 “Pro Bono”].
"Many states with large, rural expanses have lots of counties with few lawyers. In Arizona, for example, two-thirds of all counties (10 of 15) have less than one lawyer per 1,000 residents. In Idaho also, two-thirds of counties (29 of 44) have less than one lawyer per 1,000 residents, including three counties with no lawyers at all and two counties with only one lawyer. ... Overall, 40% of all counties and county-equivalents in the United States – 1,272 of 3,141 – have less than one lawyer per 1,000 residents."

"Iowa Legal Aid is a nonprofit organization providing critical legal assistance to low-income and vulnerable Iowans who have nowhere else to turn." ... "Along with volunteer lawyers throughout the state, Iowa Legal Aid helps the legal system work for those who cannot afford help with legal issues."