Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Jorge Labarga and Eleventh Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Bertila Soto delivered opening remarks to kick off a meeting of the standing Commission on Access to Civil Justice in Miami on Friday, June 2, 2017. The commission, established by the Florida Supreme Court, works to address the barriers of access to civil justice faced by hundreds of thousands of Floridians. There is no legal representation guaranteed to low- or moderate-income people and many face the prospect of civil cases related to veterans’ benefits, foreclosures, child custody, debt collection, and other vital matters without a lawyer. 

The Access to Civil Justice Commission has initiated pilot programs and undertaken other programs to help determine the best way forward to expand basic access to the civil justice system.

Photos courtesy of OSCA and the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida.