Rule 1401: Access to Justice Committee

(a)   Purpose. An Access to Justice Committee is established for the purpose of making recommendations to the Supreme Court about issues such as:

(1)   increasing the resources available for legal services for low-income litigants in civil cases;

(2)   improving planning and coordination of legal services delivery; and

(3)   reducing potential barriers to equal access to justice.

(b)   Membership. The Committee will be composed of at least eighteen members.

(c)   Appointment. The Supreme Court will appoint the members of the Committee.

(d)   Terms. The terms of the inaugural members of the Committee will be staggered. The terms of six members will be three years, the terms of six members will be two years, and the terms of six members will be one year. At the expiration of the inaugural member’s term, the term of each succeeding member of the Committee will be three years. No member of the Committee will be eligible for more than two consecutive 3-year terms. A member appointed to complete an unexpired term will be eligible to serve two more consecutive 3-year terms. A member is eligible for one or more additional terms after a break in service.

(e)   OJA Representative and Liaison Justice.

(1)   In addition to the members described in subsection (b):

(A)   there will be a permanent, nonvoting seat on the committee for a representative of the Office of Judicial Administration; and

(B)   the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court will designate a Supreme Court Justice to serve as liaison to the Committee.

(2)   The persons serving the Committee under paragraph (1) are not subject to a term limit under subsection (d).

[History: New rule adopted effective July 1, 2012.]