If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.This is arguably true in the legal context where civil justice systems, such as courts, administrative agencies, and legal aid programs, were designed by legal professionals. These systems have often not meaningfully considered the needs and perspectives of the people who navigate them.
Come learn about two different approaches to add more seats to the table. Each presents a different approach to this problem so that you can learn what combination might work best in your jurisdiction:
- Formalizing dedicated seats for self-represented litigants on important governance committees, including the Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil Procedure;
- Conducting legal needs assessments to inform legal aid service design and strategic planning.
The throughline is that community participation is a powerful form of quality control, not just a trust-building exercise. Panelists will share what it takes to make that participation meaningful rather than performative: how to engage community members and to ensure their input can meaningfully impact our civil justice system.
This session is paired with the other session "
Courts Meeting Communities Where They Are", which covers the community-organizing side of the same story — how communities self-organize for power, not just how courts open seats. This session is about changing institutional structures to include community.
The other session is about building the relationships and trust that make inclusion real. Attend both for the full picture.
