Definition

Legal services refers to those services provided by lawyers or people with legal authority to assist individuals in seeking or obtaining legal help in civil or criminal matters, assisting them to secure and exercise their legal rights, and to meet their legal responsibilities. Legal services include legal education, advice and representation enabling, often minority or low-income people, to define, assert, promote, and to enforce the full range of their legal rights. Legal representation refers to the ability, opportunity, and right of people in need to have access to adequate legal representation when needed, regardless of financial circumstances, education, gender, ethnicity, or any other factor that might prevent adequate legal representation being available.

Keywords

low cost, referral, economic access, advice, legal issues, representation, information, legal system, minority access, knowledge, legal rights, defending rights, access to services, equal access, pro bono, legal aid, civil, criminal, law, low-income, access to legal services, legal education, legal procedure, availability, access to legal representation, right to representation, courts, advocacy, law, legal defense, legal aid, legal services, legal support, discrimination, right to a fair and public hearing