Colorado — December 12, 2025 — The Colorado Access to Justice Commission today released its 2025 Listen & Learn Report and Recommendations, a statewide assessment of the most pressing civil legal needs in Colorado and the barriers residents face in navigating the justice system.
Between March and July 2025, the Commission held 22 virtual listening sessions representing every judicial district and gathering input from 317 community service providers, judges, court staff, and attorneys. Across urban, rural, and mountain communities, participants identified persistent challenges in accessing legal help and navigating increasingly complex court processes.
Top civil legal needs reported in 2025 include housing and eviction matters, family law issues, guardianship and probate concerns, debt collection, and immigration support. Rural regions continue to experience severe attorney shortages, with some districts served by only one or two legal aid lawyers.
“Coloradans across income levels, and especially in rural communities, face a justice system that is too complex, too strained, and too difficult to access. The solutions discussed across the state provide meaningful insight into what must come next,” explained Elisa (“Emo”) Overall, Executive Director of the Colorado Access to Justice Commission.
Key Findings include:
• Housing and eviction cases remain the most urgent need, with short timelines and high default rates for tenants.
• Family law cases face significant backlogs and high numbers of unrepresented litigants.
• Language access barriers prevent many non-English speakers from understanding or participating in their cases.
• Court staffing shortages and heavy caseloads drive delays and contribute to user frustration.
• Technological challenges, including the usability of the Judicial Department website, hinder court access.
• Vulnerable populations—including youth, seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, immigrants, and DV survivors—face disproportionate obstacles.
The report also highlights meaningful progress since 2021, including expanded remote hearings, trauma-informed training for judges, new judgeships funded in 2025, and the rollout of the Licensed Legal Paraprofessional (LLP) program. Still, the Commission warns that underfunded civil legal aid and court staffing shortages remain critical concerns.
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Key Recommendations include:
• For the General Assembly: Maintain or increase civil legal aid funding, expand judicial staffing, incentivize rural practice, and support the statewide legal information website, Law Help Colorado.
• For the Judicial Department: Improve the usability of the court website, expand e-filing access for self-represented litigants, simplify forms, strengthen language access, and invest in courtroom navigators and SRLC staffing.
• For law schools: Expand rural training pipelines,
• For lawyers: increase pro bono commitments, support modest-means legal service models
• For Access-to-Justice advocates: pursue policy reforms that remove structural barriers.
“Colorado has made real progress,” Overall said, “but too many people still face the legal system alone. Our recommendations outline how we can work towards a justice system that works for everyone.”