100% Access to Civil Justice System
Justice for All
The Michigan Justice for All (JFA) Commission is committed to providing 100% access to our civil justice system. The Commission will work from the JFA Task Force Strategic Plan that includes input from stakeholders, an inventory various aspects of the civil justice landscape, and targeted justice gaps as it works to implement a comprehensive approach to fill those gaps.
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JFA COMMISSION ANNOUNCED (JANUARY 2021)
Michigan Supreme Court
Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack on January 26
announced the
Court’s adoption of Administrative Order 2021-1, which creates a new Justice for All (JFA) Commission that
will work toward the goal of 100% access to our civil justice system.
News Release: Supreme Court Announces Commission Charged with Closing the Justice Gap, Improving Court Access for All Michiganians - Jan. 26, 2021
Administrative Order 2021-1
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JFA REPORT NEWS CONFERENCE (DECEMBER 2020)
Chief Justice Bridget McCormack and Justice Brian Zahra release the JFA Report, joined by the JFA Report Planning Team, which includes the Michigan State Bar Foundation, Michigan Legal Help, the State Bar of Michigan, representatives from the State Court Administrative office, and a court administrator.
JFA Report
Includes Strategic Plan, Inventory of Michigan's Civil Justice System
NEWS RELEASE: Supreme Court Unveils Report Aimed at Closing the Justice Gap (December 21, 2020)
VIDEO: JFA Report News Conference (December 15, 2020)
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WHY IS THE JFA INITIATIVE IMPORTANT?
• The right to a lawyer applies only in criminal cases, not civil cases.
• Seven out of 10 low-income households had at least one civil legal problem in the
last year.
• Due to funding limitations, legal aid agencies must turn away over half of those
who seek their help.
• In three of four civil cases, at least one side represents themselves in court
because they can’t afford to pay an attorney.
• Only 10% of people with civil legal problems recognize their issue has a legal
component that may be solved by the civil justice system.
- • People who have done nothing wrong often lose their cases in court because they
- don’t have the legal information or help they need.