The lack of legal resources for low-income rural Californians is alarming.  According to an April 2007 report by the California Commission on Access to Justice, over 1.8 million Californians live in rural areas within 18 different counties.  The 2000 Census revealed that rural counties with poverty rates above the national average outnumber urban counties at nearly a 5 to 1 ratio.  In addition, California's rural legal services organizations receive fewer funding dollars per low-income individual than organizations serving urban populations.  The diversity of needs within rural communities further exacerbates the problem.  Rural residents have per-capita higher levels of poverty and rural legal service providers face increased challenges due to sparse population densities, lack of transportation, inadequate access to technology, language barriers and lack of pro bono service.

PIC's Justice Bus^TM Project was created to leverage urban pro bono resources to serve rural low-income Californians.  In addition, PIC is working to help raise awareness and address the legal needs of rural Californians through a variety of innovative projects, including:

Rural Policy Work

PIC staff participate in several state-wide committees on rural issues, including the California State Bar Access Commission's Rural Task Force.  The task force is working on a policy paper discussing barriers to rural justice and recommendations for change.   PIC also leads and staffs the statewide Rural Pro Bono Working Group, which was formed at the 2008 Pro Bono Summit.  The group, comprised of PIC staff and attorneys from both urban law firms and rural legal services organizations, is currently working on establishing partnerships between those urban firms and rural legal services organizations.  PIC staff also participates in ongoing training efforts for rural organizations including pro bono best practices and legal training series.