Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Access to Justice
Law360 is on a mission to shed light on how the rule of law can shape communities and explore important, and often overlooked, issues that impact the ability of individuals to navigate a complex legal system. We are proud to announce our Access to Justice newsletter, which will deliver stories to all readers, free of charge, on trends affecting the justice gap, pro bono programs and difference makers helping citizens with the fewest resources gain access to the courts.
Latest News in Access to Justice
-
June 12, 2025
Justices Clarify Appeal Deadline In Win For Pro Se Inmate
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday allowed a pro se inmate to appeal a suit alleging harsh treatment while behind bars, reversing the Fourth Circuit in an opinion that says civil litigants do not need to file a second notice of appeal if they filed prior to a court's decision to reopen the case.
-
June 10, 2025
DOJ Denies Axing Public Safety Grants 'En Masse'
The U.S. Department of Justice said it "carefully and individually" reviewed thousands of public safety grants before canceling hundreds of the agreements earlier this year and urged a D.C. federal judge to toss a class action contesting the grant terminations.
-
June 10, 2025
Civil Rights Atty Returning To Lead MacArthur Justice Center
The Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center announced Tuesday that it will soon welcome back the founder and former director of its Supreme Court and appellate program to serve as the third executive director in its 40-year history.
-
May 30, 2025
Praying Or Parking? Religious Land Use Fights Head To Court
Local zoning and planning boards, usually unelected decision-making bodies, often operate with sweeping discretion that can provide cover for discrimination against religious communities. But backed by pro bono attorneys, religious groups are leaning on a 2000 federal law in their bid for court intervention.
-
May 30, 2025
$28M Jury Verdict Shows The Power Of The Monell Doctrine
A federal jury awarded $28 million to John Walker Jr., a man wrongfully convicted of murder nearly 50 years ago, after finding that prosecutors in Erie County, New York, systematically ignored criminal defendants' constitutional rights. The verdict hinged on the Monell doctrine, a hard-to-prove legal theory that allows civil rights plaintiffs to hold governments liable for constitutional violations stemming from official policy, custom, or widespread failure to supervise public officials.

Areas of Coverage
- Legal aid programs and funding
- Right to counsel
- Pro se rights
- Sentencing and bail reform
- Pro bono efforts
- Judicial backlogs and shortages
- Technology that improves access to justice
- Crime victims’ access to justice