Reimagining Access to Justice: Should Courts Go More into the Community?

Reimagining Access to Justice: Should Courts Go More into the Community?

From Court Leader's Advantage by Peter C. Kiefer

February 28, 2026 · 27 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges courts face in providing access to justice and the potential need for courts to engage more with communities.

Question of Ethics: A Conversation on Courts and Ethics March 4th, 2026 Courts stand at a crossroads between tradition andnecessity. On the one hand, we are guardians of legal boundaries, carefully distinguishing who may practice law and what constitutes legal advice. On the other hand, we are confronted with an undeniable reality: in many locationsaround our country, people with legal problems never reach the courthouse door, often because: Distance They live miles away from the courthouse or even any legal help Affordability They cannot afford to get the legal help they need Recognition They do not even see their problem as “legal” or the courthouse as a place that can help. As unmet legal needs grow, our community is asking courtsto do more, to do things differently, with fewer resources, and with fewer assumptions about how justice is accessed. These questions invite us to wrestle with uncomfortable issues. If non-attorney legal advocates are helping close critical legal gaps in selected areas around the country, is the currentlimitation on giving legal advice (Canon 1.7) still appropriate? Conversely, do some areas of law require stricter boundaries to protect the public…

Topics covered

  • Access to Justice
  • Courts
  • Legal Advocacy

Keywords

  • legal problems
  • community engagement
  • legal advice
  • court accessibility

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Anchorage, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Eugene, Oregon

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