The Civil Justice Research Initiative explores, through interdisciplinary, academically-based and independent research, how the civil justice system can be made more available to everyone seeking relief.

  • 94
    Rank of the united States among 113 countries in “accessibility and affordability of civil justice.”
  • 100Million+
    Number of people in the United States living with civil justice problems, many involving basic human needs like housing, health care and custody of their children.
  • 86
    The percent of the civil legal problems reported by low income Americans for which they received inadequate or no legal help.

  • CIVIL JUSTICE NEWS

    Access to Justice Work Earns MacArthur “Genius Grant”

    American Bar Foundation faculty fellow Rebecca Sandefur has been awarded a MacArthur Fellowship for 2018 for her work promoting a new, evidence-based approach to increasing access to civil justice for low-income communities.

  • EVENTS

    What’s Happening in Federal Court?

    The inaugural symposium of the Civil Justice Research Initiative at Berkeley Law brought together leading legal scholars and social scientists from around the country to share their research and discuss the legal process in federal courts. See event photos >

  • CIVIL JUSTICE RESEARCH

    National Conference of State Courts, The Landscape of Civil Justice Litigation in State Courts

    The NCSC undertook a study entitled The Landscape of Civil Litigation in State Courts to document case characteristics and outcomes in civil cases disposed in state courts.