WHAT IS THE ATJ CAMPAIGN
The ATJ Campaign is a centralized statewide effort administered by the Michigan State Bar Foundation in partnership with the State Bar of Michigan to increase annual resources for 14 civil legal aid programs in Michigan. Civil legal aid gives low-income individuals and families access to the justice system, a most basic human right. The civil legal aid programs in Michigan help people protect and preserve their livelihoods, their health, their homes, and their families. The Michigan legal community can support this essential work by giving to the ATJ Campaign.
In 2022, nearly 1.67 million Michigan residents were eligible for free civil legal aid because their annual income is below 125% of the federal poverty level ($37,500 for a family of 4). Currently, there is only one Michigan legal aid attorney for every 4,640 people who qualify, and 74% of low-income households experienced at least one civil legal problem in the past year.*
The need for civil legal services far outweighs the resources available. In fact, according to a Justice Gap Report published in 2022 by the Legal ServicesCorporation, low-income individuals did not receive any or enough legal help for 92% of their civil legal problems.
Working together, the Michigan legal community can improve the chances that low-income families who face a legal challenge will not have to face it alone.
*2022 Justice Gap Report, https://justicegap.lsc.gov/