About the Access Commission
The Mission
The California Access to Justice Commission advances access to justice for all Californians by expanding resources, removing barriers, and developing innovations so everyone can effectively and efficiently resolve their civil legal issues.
Read about the history, purpose, and importance of the California Access to Justice Commission here.
The Goal
We are building a California where every person can:
Understand their rights and obligations.
Navigate the justice system without barriers.
Obtain fair and timely remedies when legal problems arise.
Our justice system touches nearly every part of life - family, housing, employment, health, safety. Without meaningful access, legal protections become hollow promises. We work to close those gaps so that justice is not determined by wealth, language, or geography.
The Vision
All Californians deserve justice. We envision a modern, coordinated civil justice system where everyone—regardless of income, language, ability, or location—can get the legal help they need, when and where they need it, in a format they can use and trust.
We work side-by-side with courts, the bar, community organizations, and all three branches of government to:
Create a Continuum of Service that meets people where they are.
Improve Existing Systems to remove unnecessary complexity and bias.
Expand Representation so more people have an advocate by their side.
Promote Public Awareness and Trust in California’s civil justice system.
Read about the history, purpose, and importance of the California Access to Justice Commission here.
How We Make Change
Improving Existing Systems
We identify and address gaps—whether in court forms, language access, or rules that unintentionally exclude vulnerable communities. We push for reforms that make legal processes simpler, fairer, and more navigable for all. This includes:
Enhancing self-help centers, navigators, and small claims advisors.
Providing culturally and linguistically accessible services.
Expanding mediation, negotiation, and other out-of-court solutions.
Expanding Free and Low-Cost Legal Services
We strengthen California’s legal aid system by:
Securing funding for chronically under-resourced legal aid programs.
Supporting innovation and collaboration in service delivery.
Promoting pro bono work from attorneys, paralegals, and law students.
Encouraging affordable representation for those who don’t qualify for free legal aid.
Advancing the civil right to counsel in matters involving basic human needs.
Promoting Public Awareness and Trust
Even the most robust services are useless if people don’t know they exist or can’t trust them. We work to:
Expand information access points in communities.
Increase multilingual resources.
Strengthen referral systems with clear triage and training for community providers.
Develop communication strategies that make legal help understandable and approachable.
Innovating, Problem-Solving, and Advocating
We are committed to constant innovation:
Designing pilot projects to test new delivery models.
Leveraging data and research to guide policy.
Preventing legal problems before they escalate.
Partnering with stakeholders to scale what works.
In short: We are turning California’s promise of “justice for all” into a reality—through innovation, collaboration, and an unwavering focus on equity.
Our Partners and Collaborators
Make a donation.
The California Access to Justice Commission advances access to civil justice for all Californians; expands civil justice resources for low-and moderate-income people; and develops innovations that reduce barriers to civil justice for Californians from diverse backgrounds.
If you would like to mail a donation, please make the check out to: California Access to Justice Commission and send it to: PO Box 645 Carmichael, CA 95609.
Please email info@CalATJ.org to inform us so that we can monitor for your check.
