Nearly a century after Gideon v. Wainwright affirmed the right to counsel in criminal cases, most Americans still face civil legal problems like evictions, custody disputes, domestic violence, and debt collection without any legal help. In 2022, the ABA reported that self-representation rates exceed 90% on many dockets nationwide, and a Legal Services Corporation study found that low-income Americans receive inadequate help for 92% of their civil legal issues.

Cost is the main barrier. Even modest-means clients often can’t afford a lawyer, and rural “legal deserts” make access even harder. The traditional solution of asking lawyers to do more pro bono simply isn’t enough to meet the demand. And so a number of states have come up with innovative ways to address the crisis.

This fall, the Illinois Supreme Court approved in concept a Community Justice Worker Program that will train and certify nonlawyers to provide limited legal advice in high-need areas such as family law, housing, debt, and estate planning. These community justice workers will operate within legal aid and nonprofit organizations under the supervision of licensed attorneys. 

Illinois joins a growing list of more than 20 states exploring similar programs. Alaska already trains paralegals, tribal employees, and community health aides to assist under attorney supervision. Utah and Arizona have launched limited license programs for paraprofessionals, while Washington’s earlier LLLT initiative helped inspire these efforts.

These experiments reflect the hard truth that the “one lawyer, one client, hourly billing” model leaves too many behind. Allowing trained, supervised nonlawyers to handle routine matters could expand access, lower costs, and free lawyers to focus on complex work.

Critics worry about quality, supervision, and scope. Those concerns are valid but manageable through clear rules and accountability. What is no longer tenable is the status quo, where millions face life-altering civil problems alone.

For the legal profession, this isn’t about replacing lawyers. It is about restoring public trust and relevance. Lawyers who engage with these reforms can help shape them, ensuring that innovation and integrity go hand in hand.

As more states test new models and gather data, lawyers will play a critical role in the process. The future of access to justice will require both creativity and collaboration. Lawyers have an opportunity to lead this movement by defining standards, mentoring the next tier of helpers, and insisting on safeguards that protect the public. If we embrace these innovations with the same values that have always guided the profession, we can build a system where ordinary people don’t have to navigate extraordinary problems alone.