Let’s face it, a brush with the legal system is rarely, if ever, a pleasant experience no matter who you are. But for too many in our community, it’s worse than that. When you lack basic economic and legal resources to level the playing field, the system is built by design to exclude you from justice. There’s not a simple fix to a systemic and multigenerational problem like this, but the University of North Texas’ law school is taking real steps to break the cycle and open the doors of the courthouse to underserved communities.

The law school has expanded its network of community lawyering centers, which provide critical experience to law students while empowering individuals and families facing legal issues with free legal representation for court hearings on issues such as child support, custody disputes and other important matters.