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Pro Bono New JerseyEqual Justice Under LawLegal Services of New Jersey

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Legal Needs

Other Statistics About Poverty in New Jersey

Quest for Justice

Two recent studies published by LSNJ reveal with compelling clarity the justice gap experienced by low-income people in New Jersey. Legal Problems, Legal Needs (2002) outlined the justice gap in its broadest terms: one in five low-income adults in New Jersey – more than 400,000 – have at least one civil legal problem each year; of these, only one in six get the legal help they need. People Without Lawyers (2005) took a different kind of look – at the number of people who appear in court without representation – to assess the impact of the justice gap on individuals and their cases. Among the key findings: only 1% of defendants facing eviction have attorneys; only 5% of Special Civil Part defendants and 5% of those pursuing welfare fair hearings are represented. Other LSNJ studies have documented the breadth and depth of poverty in the state.