Who Is the Law For? Navigating Complexity and Access in the Legal System

The legal profession has long justified its intricate doctrines, elaborate procedures, and technical language as necessary safeguards that ensure fairness and predictability. The law’s complexity serves important functions: it protects against arbitrary decision-making and creates a stable framework for resolving disputes. Yet, this same sophistication has transformed law into a domain accessible primarily to those who can afford expert legal guidance. As pro se litigation rates climb across courts nationwide, the tension between legal complexity and meaningful access to justice has become impossible to ignore. This symposium brings together legal scholars, practitioners, and judges to examine whether the law’s complexity is necessary or has become a barrier that undermines its legitimacy. Contributors will explore how pro se litigants navigate procedural mazes designed for attorneys, whether technological solutions like AI-powered legal assistance can bridge the expertise gap, and what reforms might preserve the law’s necessary sophistication while making courts genuinely accessible. This symposium creates a roadmap toward a justice system that balances necessary complexity with accessibility.