Equal Justice Works Writes in Favor of Establishing a Community Justice Worker Framework in DC

For nearly forty years, Equal Justice Works has mobilized passionate public service leaders to address the most pressing legal needs in underserved communities across the nation. We write in strong support of the proposal to establish a Community Justice Worker (CJW) program in the District of Columbia. As a national nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to justice and building a more inclusive legal profession, we believe that the implementation of a CJW program is not only a necessary innovation, but an urgent moral and civic imperative.

Across the U.S., Community Justice Workers are Closing the Access to Justice Gap

The Legal Services Corporation reports that 92% of low-income people’s needs go unmet in this country. According to some scholars, between 150 and 250 million legal issues go unresolved annually. Making matters worse, fewer than 1% of the nation’s 1.3 million attorneys are paid legal services attorneys. This shortage of justice occurs in high stakes matters, such as evictions, child custody disputes, and benefits proceedings. Against the backdrop of this untenable situation, states across the country are piloting the use of community justice workers. At this writing, 11 states have relaxed their regulations prohibiting the unauthorized practice of law (UPL regulations) and another 20 are considering such a move given the dimensions of this crisis.

The scope of work for CJWs often includes common matters affecting community members that are not sufficiently met by traditional pro bono and legal aid services: housing and eviction cases, family law and guardianship, public benefits assistance, immigration filings, and other matters that critically impact people’s lives.

Jurisdictions authorizing community justice workers have found them to be essential to meeting these legal needs. By offering guidance, referrals, and limited legal assistance under appropriate supervision, CJWs relieve pressure on overburdened legal aid systems and courts. Their community-driven approach also fosters trust and accessibility, particularly for marginalized populations who face barriers to engaging with traditional legal institutions. As a result, jurisdictions that have integrated CJWs into their justice frameworks report improved outcomes in legal problem resolution and greater public confidence in the fairness and responsiveness of their justice systems.

For example, in Alaska the state supreme court authorized the Alaska Legal Services Corporation to supervise CJWs to address rampant food insecurity suffered by that state’s residents. Frontline Justice reports that CJWs in Alaska have secured approximately $1.4 million in food assistance benefits for clients and have seen positive outcomes in 84% of cases they handled. In Arizona, CJWs are active as Domestic Violence and Housing Stability Legal Advocates and have had such a positive effect that the state court plans to expand the program to other areas of law. These models reflect a broader shift: states are modifying UPL restrictions, introducing trained and supervised professionals who are not attorneys, to fill critical legal help gaps.

The District of Columbia should join the growing movement to increase access to justice. Access to legal help remains out of reach for thousands of residents even in a city with a robust legal services community. Unmet civil legal needs persist in critical areas such as housing, family law, public benefits, consumer protection, and immigration. According to a 2019 report from the District of Columbia Access to Justice Commission, the vast majority of such cases (75-97%) include at least one unrepresented party.

When people try to navigate the legal system alone, they face significantly worse outcomes with lasting consequences for their families and communities such as higher rates of eviction, lower benefit and compensation awards, and other barriers to justice. The blocks to legal representation and information are most pronounced in historically marginalized communities, where economic disparities and systemic exclusion continue to prevent individuals from seeking or obtaining legal help when they need it most. The stakes are high, and representation can be the difference between stability and crisis.

EJW Fellowships Demonstrate the Potential of Community Justice Workers

As the nation’s largest facilitator of public interest legal fellowships, Equal Justice Works has seen how important CJWs are to ensuring that communities get the legal assistance they need.

For example, EJW’s Housing Justice Program includes a cohort of organizer Fellows who work alongside lawyers and legal aid organizations to share valuable resources, build community trust, and mobilize tenant households tosupport systemic change. Over a 2-year period, our housing organizer Fellows in Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina have worked with over 350 community leaders to host large tenant gatherings, facilitate 60+ education sessions on tenant rights and recourses, and raise public awareness through hundreds of media placements at a local level.

In Texas, EJW is partnering with the Texas Immigration Law Council to place community justice workers supervised by licensed attorneys in low-income and immigrant communities to provide limited legal services. These Fellows are helping individuals and families navigate housing law, consumer debt defense, estate planning, and other legal areas that are critical to people’s lives. In our experience, CJWs are often deeply embedded in the communities they serve. They speak the language, understand the cultural context, and bring credibility and trust to situations where individuals face legal challenges. This model demonstrates the transformative potential of lawyers workingwith trained community advocates and supportive services to provide an accessible, cost-effective, and community-driven solution to the justice gap.

The District of Columbia Should Be a Leader in the CJW Movement

Across the country, this model is gaining momentum. DC should be among the jurisdictions leading the movement by adopting a carefully designed CJW program to diversify and strengthen its public interest workforce. Many CJWs are community organizers, paralegals, and non-traditional legal professionals—people who may not pursue a J.D. but have the dedication, skills, and insight to make a real difference. Licensing these passionate individuals creates new pathways into the justice system and honors their role as legitimate and essential legal advocates. Just as nurse practitioners transformed access to healthcare, CJWs can transform how we provide legal services—expanding the ecosystem without replacing the need for fully licensed attorneys.

We also recognize that ensuring quality, ethical practice, and appropriate oversight is critical. We support a regulatory framework that provides rigorous training, supervision, and continuing education for CJWs, alongside clear scopes of practice and accountability measures. These standards should be developed in consultation with legal aid providers, bar associations, community organizations, and the CJWs themselves. The regulatory structure must balance accessibility and innovation with the need for equitable public protection and should be transparent and responsive to feedback from the communities it intends to serve.

Importantly, this proposal comes at a time when traditional legal service delivery models are under strain. Federal funding fluctuations, political pressure on nonprofit and pro bono legal work, and burnout among legal aid attorneys have created structural vulnerabilities.

Expanding the pool of qualified legal advocates through a CJW program is one of the most promising, scalable, and community-centered solutions available. It is also a concrete step toward fulfilling our shared constitutional promise of equal justice for all, not just those who can afford it.

Conclusion

We urge District leaders to embrace the opportunity to pilot a Community Justice Worker program that can become a reliable and trusted resource for Washingtonians. By doing so, you are investing in equity, resilience, and the power of community to drive legal change.

We thank the DC Bar, the Office of the Attorney General, and all stakeholders who have engaged in this critical dialogue. Equal Justice Works stands ready to support the development, training, and deployment of community justice workers in the District—and to continue working alongside our partners to build a more just and inclusive legal system for all.

Thank you,

Verna Williams

CEO, Equal Justice Works