The Washington State Supreme Court's Task Force on Civil Equal Justice Funding published "The Washington State Civil Legal Needs Study" to highlight the level of unmet legal needs among the state's low and moderate income population. The data for the study was gathered through a three pronged approach which included a field survey which targeted low-income people without a permanent residence or telephone, a telephone survey which targeted low and moderate income people, and a stakeholder survey which compiled data by surveying the legal and social services community in Washington. The task force based this legal needs study in part on both the ABA's 1994 national study and "The State of Access to Justice in Oregon" study. Select findings of the study include:
Roughly 87% of low-income households experience a civil legal problem each year.
Low-income people face 88% of their legal problems without help.
Women and children face more legal problems than the low-income community in general.
Low-income people who receive legal assistance have better outcomes and greater respect for the justice system than those who do not.
Access Washington's civil legal needs study and the executive summary as PDF documents by clicking on the text below.
Contact Information:
Joan Fairbanks Washington State Access to Justice Board 2101 Fourth Avenue, Ste. 400, Seattle, WA 98121-2330 Phone: (206) 727-8282 Fax: (206) 727-8320 joanf@wsba.org
LSC:
America's Partner for Equal Justice 
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