Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-1-2020
Keywords
access to justice, rural, court appointments
Disciplines
Courts | Law | Legal Profession
Abstract
Hourly rates paid to court-appointed lawyers impact access to justice. Court appointed lawyers provide necessary counsel in civil and criminal cases, yet hourly rates in many jurisdictions are so low that many lawyers cannot afford to take court-appointed cases. This article argues that low hourly rates cause problems: namely, appointed lawyers will be insufficient in number, inaccessible to their clients, and sometimes even ineffective. These problems are heightened in rural America where they are compounded by geographical distance and the rural lawyer shortage. This article concludes by suggesting a number of policy solutions.
Publication Title
University of St. Thomas Journal of Law and Public Policy
Recommended Citation
Hannah Haksgaard, Court-Appointment Compensation and Rural Access to Justice, 14 U. St. Thomas J.L. & Pub. Pol'y 88 (2020).