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Last week, a Times-Picayune’s front page article revealed that in 75% of civil cases in Louisiana, one or both parties are forced to represent themselves in court because they cannot afford an attorney. Louisiana is one of only three states in the country that does not provide dedicated state funding for civil legal aid.

“Most Americans don’t realize there is no right to a lawyer in a civil case,” said Jim Sandman, President of the Legal Services Corporation. “They don’t realize you could lose your home or your children or be a victim of abuse in need of a protective order and you have no right to a lawyer. Fortunately, the vast majority of states recognize the role of government in trying to make the system accessible to all people, regardless of their incomes.”

At SLLS, we work hard every day to close the justice gap in southeast Louisiana. With the second highest poverty rate in the country, there simply aren’t enough resources to meet the critical legal needs of vulnerable families. To learn more about the crisis in civil legal aid, check out the full story.