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Justice Carla Wong McMillian of Supreme Court of Georgia. Courtesy photo

Having limited access to justice is a scary reality for some Georgians situated in legal deserts characterized by the presence of few, if any, licensed attorneys. In time for Halloween, the Supreme Court of Georgia has announced a new committee aimed at addressing what some consider a frightful gap in civil justice—fueled by a rural lawyer drought—with the launch of the Supreme Court Study Committee on Legal Regulatory Reform. "This committee will use data-driven methodologies to be innovative in exploring and discerning what regulatory reforms could address the issues preventing Georgians from receiving critical civil legal services without diminishing consumer protections," said committee chair Justice Carla Wong McMillian in a statement Thursday. |

'Come Up With Meaningful Solutions'

According to the court statement issued Thursday, Supreme Court of Georgia Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs ordered the creation of the 13-member committee to address the state's civil justice gap that often prevents many rural or low-income Georgia residents from acquiring legal representation in noncriminal matters.

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Presiding Judge Stephen Dillard of the Georgia Court of Appeals. Courtesy photo

Alongside McMillian, Georgia Court of Appeals Presiding Judge Stephen Louis A. Dillard will vice-chair the committee, tasked with developing recommendations to improve "access to civil legal services for rural or low-income Georgians by giving them more options while also maintaining high standards for legal practitioners" by June 2025. The remaining 11 committee members include judges from various classes of state courts and attorneys from a number of practice areas, and input will be sought from additional state court judges, lawyers, community partners and the public, according to the court announcement. As a central Georgia native of Macon, Dillard said he understood "how crucial it is to carefully examine this important issue." "I look forward to working closely with Justice McMillian and many other stakeholders to come up with meaningful solutions that will make justice more accessible and improve the lives of our fellow Georgians," Dillard said.

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Slideshow: Meet the Supreme Court Study Committee on Legal Regulatory Reform Members

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Noting that the high court "is vested by the Georgia Constitution with the responsibility to regulate the practice of law to ensure that the public is protected and that the people of Georgia receive competent legal counsel," McMillian expounded on the potential for the committee to cultivate solutions to address the state's civil justice gap. "[T]here may be narrow areas where people who are not lawyers can be trained to serve clients who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford lawyers or who live in areas without lawyers," McMillian said. "There also may be ways to encourage new or existing lawyers to provide their services to indigent residents or in legal deserts."

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'Explore Innovative Opportunities'

Ivy Cadle, 62nd State Bar of Georgia president. Courtesy photo

With the stop clock now running on the committee's eight-month deadline, additional legal organizations are now committing their support. In addition to the National Center for State Courts offering technical assistance, the State Bar of Georgia has pledged its support. "We share the Supreme Court of Georgia's desire to explore innovative opportunities to serve the citizens of Georgia while balancing the mission of the legal profession: to protect the public and improve the quality of legal services," Cadle said. "We appreciate the opportunity to partner with the Court in evaluating opportunities and look forward to engaging the members of the State Bar in that effort."