Legal needs studies repeatedly show that low and modest income Americans obtain legal assistance for only a small percentage of their legal needs. This is taken to demonstrate a failing of the American justice system. However, relying on several older studies and research conducted outside the...

A central aspect of much of the debate over access to justice is the cost of legal services. The presumption of most participants in the debate is that individuals of limited or modest means do not obtain legal assistance because they cannot afford the cost of that assistance. The question I...