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Access to Justice Commission

By order of the Louisiana Supreme Court, signed September 17, 2015, the Louisiana Access to
Justice Commission was created and continues the work of the long-standing Louisiana State Bar
Association (LSBA) Access to Justice Committees to pursue a coordinated and systemic approach
to ensuring the public’s access to the legal system. The Louisiana Access to Justice Commission
is a standing committee of the Louisiana State Bar Association.
Upon consultation with the Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, the President of the
LSBA appoints twenty-one members with diverse backgrounds in civil legal aid who have
demonstrated a commitment to and/or familiarity with access to justice in Louisiana. The
representative membership of Louisiana’s justice community stakeholders brings an increased
involvement by judges, clerks of court, the business community and others to nearly two decades
of collaboration between the Louisiana State Bar Association and the Louisiana Supreme Court
on Access to Justice efforts, providing an even greater impact to initiatives that support access.
The ATJ Commission is staffed by LSBA Access to Justice Department members, who facilitate
the Commission committees in support of the goals enumerated in the Supreme Court order to
address the needs of individuals who are otherwise unable to afford an attorney in civil matters.

Mission Statement

The mission of the commission is to “assure continuity of policy and purpose in the collaboration
between the private bar, the courts, and the civil justice community so as to further the goal of
assuring that Louisianans, regardless of their economic circumstance, have access to equal justice
under the law.”

Committees

Commission Committees focus on specific projects to carry out the mission and goals of the
commission. Those committees include:

Access to Justice Commission Committees

Building Bridges Committee, Chair Adrienne Wheeler

The mission of the Building Bridges Committee is to address issues where civil legal needs
intersect or flow from contact with the criminal justice system, the ultimate goal being to reduce
barriers to reentry and address Louisiana’s high incarceration rate. The Building Bridges
Committee does this by supporting the crucial ties between the civil and criminal legal aid
communities. The members, which represent the public defender’s office, private bar, Department
of Corrections, social workers, case managers, and civil legal aid providers, coordinate efforts to
address systemic issues in addition to ensuring the provision of legal services to people currently
and formerly incarcerated. The services provided reduce legal barriers accessing to housing,

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