Page 250 - 2024 Orientation Manual

The Louisiana State Bar Association’s

Access to Justice Committees and Initiatives

April 2023

“Access to Justice” refers to the concept whereby all individuals have the ability to meaningfully
participate in the civil legal system, regardless of their income. The Louisiana State Bar
Association has long supported the pursuit of access to justice for the people of Louisiana. In 1997,
the LSBA formalized that commitment by establishing and funding its Access to Justice (ATJ)
Department.

Access to Justice History
The ATJ Department
Established in 1997, the LSBA’s Access to Justice Department commits six full-time Bar
personnel to support the efforts of Louisiana’s non-profit civil legal aid and pro bono community
to ensure access to the court system for indigent people.

The ATJ Committee
The ATJ Committee was created simultaneously with the mission to bring together civil legal
stakeholders to collaborate in the effort to ensure that every Louisiana citizen has access to civil
legal representation, regardless of their income. Membership includes representatives from the
LSBA, Louisiana Law Schools, private practitioners, local bar associations, pro bono programs,
civil legal aid providers and other stakeholders in Louisiana’s Justice Community. With the
introduction of the ATJ Policy Committee (see below), ATJ Committee work shifted to focus on
issues related to the direct provision of civil legal services, while the policy committee focused on
strategic funding and policy initiatives.

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The ATJ Commission
The ATJ Commission was created in 2015 by an order of the Louisiana Supreme Court in response
to national encouragement from the American Bar Association that all states facilitate groups of
dedicated, influential leaders through which response to systemic and policy-oriented access to
justice issues could be addressed. The ATJ Commission subsumed the work of its predecessor
group, the ATJ Policy Committee, which functioned in a similar manner since 2009 with the
engagement (but not the written endorsement) of the Louisiana Supreme Court. A diverse 21
member Access to Justice Commission is appointed annually by the LSBA President in
conjunction with the Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court. Its members represent
designated organizations and interests, including the LSBA, the judiciary, Louisiana Law schools,
the legal aid providers, private practice, corporate counsel, pro bono organizations, and the
Louisiana Bar Foundation.

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