Justice for All Task Force to Host Town Hall Meetings

January 29, 2020

The Michigan Supreme Court’s Justice for All Task Force has scheduled two public town hall meetings seeking input on its plan to achieve 100 percent access to our civil justice system. The first meeting is on February 14, 2020, in Grand Rapids. The second meeting is on February 24 in Detroit. Additional information is provided below.

Because the right to a lawyer does not apply to civil cases, there is a significant gap when it comes to equal access. Presently, in 75% of civil cases, at least one side cannot afford a lawyer, and they are losing in court because they don’t have the legal information or help they need. In its efforts to close this gap, the task force will be inventorying available resources for people with legal problems, identifying gaps, and developing a plan to achieve 100% access.

Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack and Justice Brian K. Zahra will open the meetings with short statements and then moderate public testimony. Local officials and representatives of community service organizations will also be invited to share their views. Those who want to speak will be invited to fill out a speaker’s card, and a time limit will be set based on the number of speakers.

The meetings will take place as follows:

Grand Rapids
Friday, February 14, 2020, 10:00 a.m.–Noon
Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation
1530 Madison Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507

Detroit
Monday, February 24, 2020, 6:00–8:00 p.m.
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union Hall
1358 Abbott St, Detroit, MI 48226

Future meetings will be scheduled as needed to complete the task force’s work.

For more information, visit the task force web page.