NATIONAL CENTER FOR ACCESS TO JUSTICE INC

SIGNATURE PROJECTS THE JUSTICE INDEX PROJECT - THE JUSTICE INDEX, (HTTPS://NCAJ.ORG/STATE- RANKINGS/JUSTICE-INDEX), CREATED BY NCAJ IN 2021 AND UPDATED PERIODICALLY, IS A WEB-BASED SYSTEM IN WHICH NCAJ PRESENTS DATA SHOWING THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE 50 STATES, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND PUERTO RICO, HAVE ADOPTED, AS LAWS AND PRACTICES, CERTAIN SELECTED BEST POLICIES FOR ASSURING ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR ALL. THIS PROJECT RELIES ON THE CONCEPT THAT PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS FUNCTION BEST WHEN PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND HOW THEY OPERATE, WHEN PERFORMANCE CAN BE READILY EVALUATED, AND WHEN OFFICIALS CAN BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO NORMS AND STANDARDS. BY SETTING BENCHMARKS, IDENTIFYING THE PRESENCE (AND ABSENCE) IN EACH STATE OF SELECTED LAWS AND PRACTICES THAT MEET THE BENCHMARK, AND THEN PUBLISHING THE FINDINGS, THE JUSTICE INDEX EMPOWERS JUDGES, COURT ADMINISTRATORS, OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, JOURNALISTS, ACADEMICS, ACTIVISTS, AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN THEIR RESPECTIVE EFFORTS TO IMPROVE OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE JUSTICE INDEX CURRENTLY PRESENTS FINDINGS ON BEST POLICIES IN SIX CATEGORIES, SPECIFICALLY CONSUMER DEBT LITIGATION, GOVERNMENT-IMPOSED FINES AND FEES, ATTORNEY ACCESS, SELF-REPRESENTED LITIGANT ACCESS, LANGUAGE ACCESS, AND DISABILITY ACCESS. IN CERTAIN AREAS COVERED BY THE JUSTICE INDEX, NCAJ PUBLISHES ADDITIONAL MATERIALS AND PROVIDES ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO INTERESTED STAKEHOLDERS WHO CONNECT WITH NCAJ STAFF ABOUT CERTAIN LAWS AND PRACTICES COVERED IN THE JUSTICE INDEX. FINES AND FEES - NCAJ IS A RESOURCE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT GOVERNMENT- IMPOSED FINES AND FEES POLICIES IN THE LEGAL SYSTEM, AND WORKS TO ENSURE THAT COURTS, LAWYERS, LITIGANTS, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF ADDRESSING HARMS LINKED TO GOVERNMENTAL RELIANCE ON FINES AND FEES. OUR JUSTICE INDEX INCLUDES A FINES AND FEES INDEX WITH FINDINGS THAT ARE ROUTINELY USED BY THE PUBLIC TO PROMOTE ADOPTION OF, AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO, SELECTED BEST LAWS AND PRACTICES IN THIS POLICY AREA, AND NCAJ PRODUCES MATERIALS AND PROVIDES INFORMATION AND SUPPORT IN THIS POLICY AREA. CONSUMER DEBT LITIGATION - NCAJ IS A RESOURCE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT CONSUMER DEBT LITIGATION, AND WORKS TO ENSURE THAT COURTS, LAWYERS, LITIGANTS, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF ADDRESSING HARMS LINKED TO GOVERNMENTAL RELIANCE ON FINES AND FEES. OUR JUSTICE INDEX INCLUDES A CONSUMER DEBT LITIGATION INDEX WITH FINDINGS THAT ARE ROUTINELY USED BY THE PUBLIC TO PROMOTE ADOPTION OF, AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO, SELECTED BEST LAWS AND PRACTICES IN THIS POLICY AREA, AND NCAJ ALSO PRODUCES MATERIALS AND PROVIDES INFORMATION AND SUPPORT IN THIS POLICY AREA. LANGUAGE ACCESS -NCAJ IS A RESOURCE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT LANGUAGE ACCESS IN THE LEGAL SYSTEM, AND WORKS TO ENSURE THAT COURTS, LAWYERS, LITIGANTS, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE ACCESS. OUR JUSTICE INDEX INCLUDES A LANGUAGE ACCESS INDEX THAT IS ROUTINELY USED BY THE PUBLIC TO PROMOTE ADOPTION AND OF, AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO, SELECTED BEST LAWS AND PRACTICES FOR ASSURING PEOPLE WHO DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH WILL HAVE ACCESS TO JUSTICE. DISABILITY ACCESS - NCAJ IS A RESOURCE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT DISABILITY ACCESS IN THE LEGAL SYSTEM, AND WORKS TO ENSURE THAT COURTS, LAWYERS, LITIGANTS, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF DISABILITY ACCESS. OUR JUSTICE INDEX INCLUDES A DISABILITY ACCESS INDEX THAT IS ROUTINELY USED BY THE PUBLIC TO PROMOTE ADOPTION OF, AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO, SELECTED BEST LAWS AND PRACTICES FOR ASSURING THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WILL HAVE ACCESS TO JUSTICE. THE LEGAL EMPOWERMENT PROJECT - NCAJ IS RESEARCHING AND WRITING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL VALUE OF DIVERSE POLICY MODELS THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY ENABLE PEOPLE TO OBTAIN BASIC LEGAL ADVICE FROM CATEGORIES OF TRAINED AND QUALIFIED PRACTITIONERS WHO ARE NOT ATTORNEYS, BUT RATHER WHO MAY BE ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE ADDRESS PROBLEMS THAT HAVE A LEGAL DIMENSION, FOR EXAMPLE, SOCIAL WORKERS, LIBRARIANS, CASEWORKERS, ORGANIZERS AND OTHER TRAINED AND QUALIFIED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. NCAJ ALSO SUPPORTS THE MOVEMENT FOR A CIVIL RIGHT TO COUNSEL FOR INDIVIDUALS CONFRONTED BY LEGAL CONCERNS THAT IMPLICATE FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN NEEDS. PUBLIC EVENTS - THROUGH SUCH EVENTS AS THE SOLUTIONS SYMPOSIUM, ACCESS TO JUSTICE ROUNDTABLE, EVENING PANEL DISCUSSIONS, AND OTHER PUBLIC EVENTS, NCAJ WORKS ON PROJECTS, SOMETIMES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FORDHAM UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, THAT BRING TOGETHER ADVOCATES, SCHOLARS, REFORMERS, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR DIALOGUE ABOUT THE ACCESS TO JUSTICE MOVEMENT, INCLUDING ABOUT THE POLICY SOLUTIONS AT THE LEADING EDGE OF THE MOVEMENT. NCAJ HELPS TO EDUCATE THE ACCESS TO JUSTICE COMMUNITY AND THE LARGER SOCIETY ABOUT THE NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH ON POLICIES INTENDED TO INCREASE ACCESS TO JUSTICE.