Community Justice Workers for Californians
California is facing a justice crisis. Millions of Californians struggle with critical legal issues—like eviction, debt, and wage theft—without access to the help they need.
Community Justice Workers bridge the gap. By training non-lawyers to provide limited legal assistance under attorney supervision, we can expand legal aid’s reach, reduce court bottlenecks, and deliver justice where it’s most needed. Backed by evidence from other states, the CJW program offers a scalable, cost-effective way to bridge California’s justice gap.
“In rural areas, California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. is often the only source of legal assistance for people trying to keep their homes, maintain their incomes, and protect their safety. But millions of California residents are priced out of private legal representation, and demand for our services far outpaces our capacity. This proposal would allow for innovative growth of resources to serve communities’ legal goals.”
Jessica Jewell, Executive Director of California Rural Legal Assistance
The Effort to Expand Californian's Access to Justice
In December 2025, a group of nonprofit organizations filed an administrative petition with the California Supreme Court to request that the Court authorize Community Justice Workers (CJWs) to operate under the supervision of legal services organizations in California.
The proposal was developed over the course of many months by working with 11 legal services organizations in California and various stakeholders throughout the state.
Now that the petition has been filed, it is up to the Supreme Court as to what happens next. In the meantime, the filers are looking to explore the next steps needed at the legislative level to implement a CJW program in California.
Community Justice Workers at a Glance
1
Who are CJWs?
A CJW is a trained non-lawyer who can provide limited legal services under the supervision of attorneys at legal aid organizations. This will address the justice gap by expanding access to legal assistance for low-income Californians facing critical legal challenges, such as housing instability, debt collection, and wage theft.
2
What will CJW's do?
CJWs will handle tasks specific to the needs of the communities served by the legal aid organization that hosts them. This could include duties like assisting with unlawful detainer complaints, preparing debt validation letters, supporting wage theft claims, and guiding individuals through administrative hearings.
3
Why does California need CJWs?
85% of low-income Californians are unable to access adequate legal assistance. Traditional solutions, like increasing the number of lawyers are insufficient. The CJW program provides a scalable, cost-effective way to help more people access justice while alleviating the strain on legal aid organizations.
Spotline on CJW Success
Utah
Community Justice Advocates of Utah guide survivors of domestic violence through the process of filing for restraining orders and securing their economic stability.
From June 2021 through June 2024, advocates helped clients seek 225 protective orders. In those 225 cases, 118 clients were awarded final orders. The supervising legal organization, Timpanogos Legal Center, found that clients receiving legal services from an advocate are roughly twice as likely to receive a protective order than the statewide average.
Alaska
The Alaska Legal Services Corporation is permitted to train and supervise community justice workers in Alaska’s rural and remote communities, many of which qualify as legal deserts.
Alaska’s program has had remarkable success. As of September 30, 2024, 271 CJWs have completed training, and another 143 are progressing. The CJWs have a 100 percent success rate in the areas in which they have been deployed so far (primarily assisting clients with accessing SNAP benefits and drafting wills).
Due to the success of the program, Alaska Legal Services Corporation (the sponsoring legal organization) was able to double the overall number of clients assisted in one year.