Improving Civil Justice In Rural California (2010)

Low-income rural Californians face a complex set of barriers and challenges when they seek to address critical legal needs, yet legal services programs lack adequate resources to offer the services that are needed so desperately in these communities.

The California Commission on Access to Justice presents this Report and Recommendations on ways to expand the availability of legal services to
Californians living in rural communities throughout the state. The report will:

• Provide a working definition of “rural” and an overview of California’s
rural demographics;

• Examine the barriers faced by low-income Californians in rural areas that
restrict their access to justice;

• Describe the legal help available in California’s rural communities; and

• Focus attention on the opportunities and recommendations that will result
in more fully serving the legal needs of California’s rural communities.