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WASHINGTON – Former Massachusetts Representative Joe Kennedy III and Rohan Pavuluri, CEO and co-founder of the bankruptcy nonprofit Upsolve, joined ���˶��� (LSC) President Ronald S. Flagg on the latest episode of “Talk Justice” released today. Their discussion focused on shifting the narrative on access-to-justice advocacy and the role organizations like Upsolve and advocates like Kennedy and Pavuluri can play. 

Kennedy explained that one of the biggest challenges to legal aid advocacy is a lack of awareness. “There are all sorts of different civil protections that we as citizens also enjoy that are codified into law, probably not surprising, but we often don’t think about it,” he said, citing housing law protections and other civil legal issues that are at the heart of ���DZ����’s safety and stability.   

“The problem is that most people don’t know about that, and one of the fundamental lessons of our legal system is that those protections that are codified in law, are only as good as someone’s ability to enforce them and exercise them,” he explained. “What we see in civil law far too often is that the burden is put on the individual whose rights are being infringed.” 

The three contrasted this to criminal law where the onus is on the police to recognize the wrongdoing and prosecute, not the victim.

As the discussion continued, Flagg asked Kenned and Pavuluri about ways for improving the civil justice system. He noted that the legal system as it currently functions remains out of reach for too many Americans. Pavuluri agreed, citing several specific changes that would improve access to justice. 

“The first [change] is simplifying the legal system so that we can empower more people to access their rights on their own when they can’t afford a lawyer,” Pavuluri said. “Legal complexity, as it exists today, is a civil rights injustice. We designed our system of justice around the assumption that everyone will be able to have a lawyer, which makes no sense when in areas of poverty law, if you could afford a lawyer you wouldn’t have the legal problem in the first place.”  

Talk Justice episodes are  and on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple and other popular podcast apps. The podcast is sponsored by LSC’s Leaders Council.  
 
Future episodes of Talk Justice will discuss new studies on civil legal needs in the United States and around the world was well as examine the impact that less-than-honorable discharges have on veterans.