On a recent visit to Ireland to meet with the Bar Council of Ireland and the Law Society of Ireland William C. Hubbard, President of the American Bar Association (ABA) addressed a number of key changes that must occur for the American legal system to promote better access to justice. In addition to his role with the ABA, Hubbard is also involved with the Commission on the Future of Legal Services.
Speaking to the Irish Times, Hubbard pointed to research that shows an increasing inaccessibility of civil legal aid services for poor and middle class citizens in the United States. This inaccessibility has increased despite the fact that there are more than enough lawyers, with many being underemployed or even unemployed. He also spoke to the barriers that prevent people from accessing these legal services, including the complexity of the legal system, a lack of understanding on how to access it and the associated costs. To somewhat alleviate these barriers in accessing justice, Mr. Hubbard welcomed the shift to online services least of all due to reduced expense and faster access.
Despite the obvious benefits of online legal services, Hubbard agrees that the same protections of the traditional legal system cannot be easily replicated. To combine the protections of the traditional legal system with the obvious benefits of the online legal services is a central goal of the Commission on Future Legal Services.
In addition to ensuring employment for lawyers into the future, the Commission also has a social justice perspective. This is seen through their work on improving legal efforts in the area of domestic violence. They have also addressed legal services in relation to family law by creating a new category of lawyers called Limited Licence Legal Technicians, or triple LTs, who are able to provide legal assistance on family court matters.
Hubbard stresses the fact that the needs of the people are not being addressed, and more creative solutions need to be looked into. As technology advances, there are new opportunities to improve the legal system and allow everyone equal access to justice, not just in the United States, but all over the world. As Hubbard says, ‘maybe the legal service provided will not be the bespoke service, the perfect service, but some representation in some form is better than people going it alone with no assistance.’
Click here to read the article in the Irish Times.
Click here to visit the Commission on the Future of Legal Services website.