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A Georgia Supreme Court committee has proposed the state start a pilot program to train non-attorneys to handle some legal tasks in evictions and other housing cases and consumer-debt matters, saying this "'assisted pro se' model" would improve rural and low-income people's access to civil legal services.

The high court's Committee on Legal Regulatory Reform recommended in a released Monday that the state train limited licensed legal practitioners, or LLLPs, on giving legal advice and assisting with forms related to only housing and consumer-debt issues. The 13-member committee was led by Justice Carla Wong McMillian as chair and Georgia Court of Appeals Presiding Judge Stephen Louis A. Dillard as vice chair.

"This 'assisted pro se' model would mean that litigants continue to represent themselves in court but receive advice and assistance as they address legal issues in the identified case areas," the report states.

The committee said the civil justice gap means that "many people must represent themselves as they attempt to navigate the court system without legal advice or representation."

"This can mean that they do not receive the same outcome that they would have received with assistance from a knowledgeable representative," the committee said.

Justice McMillian said Monday in a statement to Law360 Pulse that the study committee suggested the pilot program for housing and consumer-debt cases "because these are high-volume cases with relatively non-complex legal issues."

"The proposed pilot program would increase access to justice for low-income and rural Georgians while protecting the public," Justice McMillian said.

Justice McMillian said the report has been sent to the state Supreme Court, which "will then determine which recommendations to adopt and will provide direction on implementation."

Justice McMillian said the report also looked into ways for attorneys can help "increase access to justice."

The committee "recommends adopting rules to expand the pool of attorneys who can engage in pro bono work in Georgia, as well as permit attorneys to perform pro bono services for CLE credits under certain conditions, which is permitted in a number of other states," Justice McMillian said.

In addition to interviewing dozens of stakeholders in the Peach State, the committee surveyed 2,200 attorneys and found that more than half agreed or strongly agreed that non-attorneys might be able to help close the civil justice gap.

The committee said that more than 420,000 civil cases had at least one self-represented party in Georgia courts in 2023.

"This means that hundreds of thousands of Georgians attempted to resolve civil legal matters, including evictions, divorces, custody disputes, debt suits, and issues relating to probate and estate, without an attorney," the committee report says. "In total, these cases make up over one third of the civil cases disposed [of] in Georgia's Superior, State, Probate, and Magistrate Courts."

The committee proposed a 3-year pilot in which these paraprofessionals will offer legal assistance to qualifying landlords and tenants with housing issues as well as people facing consumer-debt issues.

"The LLLPs would be permitted to provide general legal guidance in these narrow areas of law and assist with preparing and drafting forms and documents," The committee said. "Unlike some programs in other jurisdictions, the LLLPs would not be permitted to appear in court or contact other parties."

The committee said the "phased pilot approach seeks to balance the need to show caution when expanding the practice of law into new areas with the urgent unmet legal needs of low-income and rural Georgians."

The committee said the pilot program should create partnerships with community-based organizations, nonprofit legal services providers and specific courts.

Rita A. Sheffey, executive director of Atlanta Legal Aid Society Inc. said Monday in a statement to Law360 Pulse that the committee's pilot program recommendation "could be a game-changer for many low-income Georgians."

"Due to limited resources for civil legal services, we must prioritize assisting individuals with more urgent needs, leaving others with brief advice or no assistance," Sheffey said. "Enabling some of our talented non-lawyer staff to assist more individuals will not only help more people in need better access justice in their legal matters, it also will be great for professional development for some staff. I am excited about the recommendation."

Chief Justice Nels S.D. Peterson said in a statement that the "court is thankful for the committee's focus and dedication on the critical issue of giving Georgians more options for accessing civil legal services while also maintaining high standards for our state's legal practitioners."

"The court will review the recommendations and determine the appropriate next steps," Justice Peterson said.

Former Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs, who stepped down from the bench earlier this year to return to private practice, created the study committee in August and tasked it with pitching its recommendations by June 30.

--Editing by Amy French.

Update: This story has been updated with comments from Justice McMillian and Sheffey.