CBA Record July-August 2022

Struggles of Middle-income People ? The study confirms that millions of people around the country are above the income eligibility line for legal aid yet still struggle to find affordable legal help when they need it. An alarmingly high percent age (86%) of middle-income Americans cannot get help for legal problems with a substantial impact on their lives. For almost a decade, the CBF has played a lead role in helping people who make too much to qualify for legal aid but not enough to pay market rates for an attorney connect with affordable and accessible legal services through the Jus tice Entrepreneurs Project. Through the JEP, the CBF has learned a lot about what works (and what doesn’t) for the middle market, and what types of busi ness models can sustainably serve it. Along with more market-based solu tions such as those the JEP is helping to seed, we need more subsidized models that charge people on a sliding scale by income, similar to what we have for health care. The CBF will play a lead role in the coming year to develop a national network for organizations working on improving solutions for the middle market.

Our justice system only works if every one believes in and has access to it. Too many people are not even getting to the starting line today. That requires a height ened commitment from all of us in the profession and in the courts to better connect with the public and build more authentic community partnerships to help us do so. Thanks to the strong support of CBA members and our larger legal commu nity, the CBF is already working hard on all these fronts and making a real dif ference. The new study shows just how much more work we have in front of us to fulfill the promise of justice for all, and our legal community needs to continue to lead the way. Legal Community to Lead the Way Towards Closing the Gap

Excerpt from 2022 Justice Gap Study.

essary legal help, this widespread lack of access has a damaging influence on their trust in the justice system. In fact, less than one-third believe people “like them” are treated fairly in the system. Justice is fundamentally about fairness. When more than two-thirds of everyday Americans do not trust our system, it should be a wake-up call for all of us in the legal community. Committing to Better Outreach to Public and Community Partnerships Finally, with the pro bono and legal aid system already so overstretched, it is tempting to look away from the finding

Bob Glaves is the Executive Director of The Chicago Bar Foundation.

Emme Veenbaas is CBF Manager of Development & Communications

Excerpt from 2022 Justice Gap Study.

that such low percentages of people seek help for problems with substantial impact in the first instance. But with so many low-income people not even seeking help for legal issues that can impact their safety and independence, this is not a tenable course of action.

Alarm Bells from Lack of Trust in Fair ness of Our Legal System Along with the direct negative impacts low and middle-income people experi ence when they don’t have access to nec

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