It’s National Start a Rumor Day!
You heard it here first: The Access to Justice Crisis is over! Every person in America—regardless of income, background, or circumstance—now has full and equal access to the legal help they need. From simple landlord–tenant disputes to complex family law cases, affordable representation is available to all. No one faces eviction, divorce, debt collection, or probate alone. Legal aid organizations are fully funded, attorneys are volunteering in record numbers, and self-represented litigants can easily navigate every step of the legal process with expert support.
Wouldn’t that be something?
Unfortunately, this headline-worthy development is just that—a rumor. And today is National Start a Rumor Day. In observance of this quirky national day, we’re exploring the truth of the justice gap, not the rumor, with the following facts below.
The Justice Gap
In reality, the justice gap in America remains wide. According to the Legal Services Corporation’s most recent Justice Gap Report, millions of Americans face civil legal problems each year without meaningful access to legal assistance. The vast majority of low-income individuals receive little or no help with their legal issues, while those in the so-called “missing middle”—who earn too much to qualify for free legal aid but too little to afford private attorneys—often find themselves navigating the courts on their own.
The consequences of this gap are profound. Families may lose housing, struggle with child custody, or face debt judgments without understanding their rights or the legal process. These are not isolated problems—they are systemic barriers that affect communities everywhere, including here in Harris County.
Our Mission
At the Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library, we can’t solve the access to justice crisis on our own, but we work every day to bridge the gap. Our mission is to provide open and equal access to reliable legal information—for free—to everyone, regardless of income or experience with the legal system. Whether you’re researching a case, preparing a court form, or learning about your legal rights, our law librarians are here to help guide you to trusted legal information and community resources.
So, while the rumor of universal access to justice may not be true yet, the work toward that goal continues—one question, one resource, and one self-represented litigant at a time.