Bridging the Justice Gap – How Smart Technology Can Support Access to Legal Advice for Underserved Communities
Many vulnerable individuals and groups face significant barriers to obtaining legal services, with severe negative impacts on their rights. These barriers can exacerbate their vulnerabilities, impacting the outcomes of their legal claims and overall wellbeing. This report aims to address the critical need for understanding and improving access to legal services for under-served communities, outlining some of the opportunities and challenges for smart technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), as tools for enhanced access to justice for all.
Our approach to this research involved a comprehensive review of existing literature and studies, as well as direct engagement with individuals and organisations impacted by or involved in providing legal services. We conducted interviews to gather qualitative data in order to obtain insights, gauge attitudes and perceptions, and identify trends. Following the drafting of the initial report, we held two roundtable discussions with stakeholders from diverse professional backgrounds, including academics, pro bono clinic practitioners, AI tool developers, and representatives from the third sector.
The report is structured as follows: Part 1 outlines the results of the 'mapping under-served communities' exercise, providing an overview of the communities identified as under-served by legal services, including the factors contributing to their vulnerabilities. Part 2 maps out the organisations (by category) that are offering services to these communities, highlighting the challenges they face and the impact of their work. Part 3 then explores and discusses the potential role of AI in supporting and enhancing the delivery of legal services, including key considerations and opportunities.
This report was prepared on the basis of an exploratory research project commissioned by EdenReach. Find out more about the project here: Bridging the Justice Gap - How Smart Technology Can Support Access to Legal Advice for Underserved Communities.
