National Center for Access to Justice Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Signature projects the justice index project - the justice index, (https://ncaj.org/state- rankings/justice-index), created by ncaj in 2021 and updated periodically, is a web-based system in which ncaj presents data showing the extent to which the 50 states, the district of columbia, and puerto rico, have adopted, as laws and practices, certain selected best policies for assuring access to justice for all. This project relies on the concept that public institutions function best when people can understand how they operate, when performance can be readily evaluated, and when officials can be held accountable to norms and standards. By setting benchmarks, identifying the presence (and absence) in each state of selected laws and practices that meet the benchmark, and then publishing the findings, the justice index empowers judges, court administrators, other government officials, journalists, academics, activists, and other members of the public in their respective efforts to improve our justice system. The justice index currently presents findings on best policies in six categories, specifically consumer debt litigation, government-imposed fines and fees, attorney access, self-represented litigant access, language access, and disability access. In certain areas covered by the justice index, ncaj publishes additional materials and provides additional support to interested stakeholders who connect with ncaj staff about certain laws and practices covered in the justice index. Fines and fees - ncaj is a resource for information about government- imposed fines and fees policies in the legal system, and works to ensure that courts, lawyers, litigants, and members of the public understand the importance of addressing harms linked to governmental reliance on fines and fees. Our justice index includes a fines and fees index with findings that are routinely used by the public to promote adoption of, and accountability to, selected best laws and practices in this policy area, and ncaj produces materials and provides information and support in this policy area. Consumer debt litigation - ncaj is a resource for information about consumer debt litigation, and works to ensure that courts, lawyers, litigants, and members of the public understand the importance of addressing harms linked to governmental reliance on fines and fees. Our justice index includes a consumer debt litigation index with findings that are routinely used by the public to promote adoption of, and accountability to, selected best laws and practices in this policy area, and ncaj also produces materials and provides information and support in this policy area. Language access -ncaj is a resource for information about language access in the legal system, and works to ensure that courts, lawyers, litigants, and members of the public understand the importance of language access. Our justice index includes a language access index that is routinely used by the public to promote adoption and of, and accountability to, selected best laws and practices for assuring people who do not speak english will have access to justice. Disability access - ncaj is a resource for information about disability access in the legal system, and works to ensure that courts, lawyers, litigants, and members of the public understand the importance of disability access. Our justice index includes a disability access index that is routinely used by the public to promote adoption of, and accountability to, selected best laws and practices for assuring that people with disabilities will have access to justice. The legal empowerment project - ncaj is researching and writing about the potential value of diverse policy models that would potentially enable people to obtain basic legal advice from categories of trained and qualified practitioners who are not attorneys, but rather who may be able to help people address problems that have a legal dimension, for example, social workers, librarians, caseworkers, organi

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 72.4%; rating input score 72
• Program expense ratio: 65.3%; rating input score 65
• Fundraising efficiency: $5.23 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 24th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -10.8%; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.72; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 69.1%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 9.5% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 30th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 6.8% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings