In the summer of 1974, John Denver was atop the charts, Robin Yount was a rookie, and I was a high school intern at Legal Services of Eastern Michigan in my hometown of Flint. That was my first job in a law office. Earlier this year, I retired from my last job in a law office; I spent the past decade or so as the National Pro Bono Partner at Quarles. My summer at Legal Services opened my eyes to the challenges that people in poverty face as they navigate our legal system. Unfortunately, more than 50 years later, those challenges remain.

According to the Legal Services Corporation, over 90% of low-income Americans with civil legal problems don’t receive adequate legal representation. Lawyers are uniquely positioned to address the justice gap — to help ensure veterans receive the benefits they are owed, to help families facing eviction stay in their homes, to help survivors of domestic violence move forward, and to help older adults protect their savings.

How Lawyers Can Help

Here are three of the many ways lawyers can help close the justice gap.

1) Provide pro bono legal services. Not sure where to start? Contact a legal services provider, like Legal Action of Wisconsin, to see how you can pitch in. Or check out the State Bar of Wisconsin’s pro bono portal for opportunities in your practice area and community.

Finally, clerks of courts and pro se help desks might help identify pro bono opportunities that are a match for your skill set. And, as a bonus, Wisconsin attorneys can receive continuing legal education credit for providing qualifying pro bono legal services.

2) Support sustained state funding for civil legal aid. Wisconsin annually ranks near the bottom of the 50 states for legal aid funding. This is an injustice. It’s bad economics, too: every dollar invested in civil legal aid returns more than eight dollars in economic benefits.

As I have seen throughout my career, legal aid attorneys and paralegals make a tremendous difference in the lives of their clients. We need more of them.

3) Back the Legal Advocate Rule Petition. The Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission and Quarles & Brady LLP have filed a petition requesting creation of a new chapter of the Supreme Court Rules. Chapter 51, Authorized Practice by Legal Advocates, would expand access to civil legal services by authorizing qualified, non-lawyer advocates to provide limited legal advice, negotiate on clients’ behalf, and appear before courts and state agencies — all within defined areas of practice and under attorney supervision. The petition builds on a growing movement across the U.S. to bridge the divide between the need for legal services and the limited numbers of licensed attorneys in some locations. Qualified legal advocates can expand access to justice while lawyers continue to handle the most complex legal matters.

In exchange for the privilege of practicing law, attorneys must do our share to close the justice gap. It is our collective responsibility.