In October 2018, the Commission received a grant from the National Center for State Courts to develop a Strategic Action Plan for New Mexico using the Justice for All framework.

The Justice for All Initiative is an exciting project launched by the National Center for State Courts to help states develop meaningful, actionable plans to ensure that 100% of people with essential civil legal needs have access to help. The initiative prioritizes collaboration and coordination with non-legal community providers. It also identifies several high value “components” that states can focus on to deliver access to the court system.

Equal justice under the law is a right, not a privilege. As such, in our democracy,everyone with a non-criminal legal problem who needs help accessing the civil justice system should have help.

–New Mexico Justice for All Plan

The New Mexico Supreme Court approved and adopted the Access to Justice Commission’s Justice for All Plan in October 2019. Read the plan below.

Some plan highlights include: a statewide self-help center that can be accessed remotely; an online portal that will guide users to the resources and services they need; plain language forms; protocols for smaller form packets so court-users can receive only the specific form or forms they need; and appropriate courthouse signage to ensure courts are user-friendly.

 The Commission has created six Implementation Teams to actualize our JFA priorities and the teams meet on a regular basis between full Commission meetings.

It is important to eliminate barriers to the civil justice system that deny justice and keep people in poverty, such as racial inequities.

–New Mexico Justice for All Plan