CIVIL LEGAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT

A large percentage of the population in North Carolina cannot afford the services of a private attorney. Each year, thousands of North Carolinians must navigate complex civil legal issues such as foreclosure and child custody without the benefit of representation. As a result, basic human needs like food, safety, shelter, and healthcare go unmet.

In 2020, in partnership with UNC Greensboro’s Center for Housing and Community Studies, the NC Equal Access to Justice Commission (EATJC) and the Equal Justice Alliance (EJA) completed the first comprehensive civil legal needs assessment in nearly two decades. The study provides an overview of the scope of civil legal needs in North Carolina, as well as the factors affecting the depth and type of civil legal problems people experience.