Using Technology to Improve Rural Access to Justice

Abstract

This Article explores the wide justice gap in rural communities in the United States and argues that non-profit legal services providers, volunteer lawyers, law schools and even private lawyers should explore ways in which technology can improve access to justice in rural communities. While technology-enhanced legal practice can assist urban and rural communities alike, this article focuses on the promise such technology holds to close the justice gap in America’s rural communities by discussing the following: the current state of rural access to justice; the current state of technology-enhanced legal services and the promise such technology holds for addressing the justice gap in rural communities, with a focus on efforts mostly in New York State; and the prospects of a technology-enhanced legal practice that strives to serve America’s low- and moderate-income rural communities.

Keywords: Access to Justice, Rural America, Technology

JEL Classification: K00