Because she withheld rent from the landlord who refused to make repairs
Because she lost them
Because the landlord wouldn't provide them
Because she moved
Because she was a poor record keeper
Why didn't Katherine have proper documentation of rent?
She could not afford an attorney and the legal system was too crowded to  be a help to her
She was very smart
The most vulnerable members of our society are the least able to afford legal services
She could not afford her own lawyer, and there are not enough legal aid lawyers to help everyone in need
She could not afford it
She didn't want to pay it
She felt she had experienced her promblems and was best able to bring them to the attention of the court
Why did Katherine represent herself and not seek legal services?
They are co owners of a law firm
They are police officers
Lash is associate dean at the University of Southern California Law School
Lash is associate dean at the University of Southern California Law School and Johnson is a justice on California's Second District Court of Appeal
Johnson is a justice on California's Second District Court of Appeal
They are partners in the private law firm : Lash and Johnson, LLC
Lash and Johnson are co-chairs of the California Commission on Access to Justice
What positions do the co-chairs of the California Commission on Access to Justice hold?
Apartment had broken infrastructure and to reinstate Medi-Cal benefits
She didn't have enough food
The landlord took her rent money
She committed a crime
Because she lost her health care insurance
She wanted to restore Medi-Cal
She wanted to sue her landlord
Why was Katherine seeking legal help?
Issues withthe heat in the apartment
Rat bites
Broken toilet and non- working oven, rats and roaches, and a fourthfloor landing with no railing
Katherine withheld rent because of a broken toilet and non- working oven, rats and roaches, and a fourth floor landing with no railing
A broken toilet and non- working oven, rats and roaches, and a fourthfloor landing with no railing
Repairs that her landlord refuses to fix
Katherine withheld rent because she felt she deserved new carpeting and a garbage disposal in her apartment
What repairs or issues caused Katherine to withhold rent?
She could testify for herself
She couldn't afford a lawyer
She studied law
She enjoyed the law
She couldn't afford it
She could not afford private representation and public resources are scarce
She wanted to win her case
Why did Katherine represent herself instead of having someone represent her?
She had no money
She couldn't read
She didn't know the case
She did not produce the proper documents
She didn't have a car
She found the process so confusing that she gave up
The legal system was too confusing
Why was Katherine unsuccessful in representing herself?
It is confusing
They don't have rent receipts
It's difficult to understand
They cannot afford legal services
They aren't able to find information
There's just one legal aid lawyer available per 10,000 poor people
Why is the justice system difficult for poor people?
The process was so confusing
She was tired
She found the process confusing
She received no assistance and was met with constant failure
She didn't have transportation
She had to go to work
She didn't have any money
Why did Katherine give up?
He refused to make repairs
The neighbors were loud
She didn't have enough food
She lost health insurance
He was harassing her
Why did she want to file a complaint against her landlord?
Lash is associate dean at the University of Southern California Law School. Johnson is a justice on California's Second District Court of Appeal. Lash and Johnson are co-chairs of the California Commission on Access to Justice. The full report can be viewed at (www.calbar.org). In her year-long odyssey through the California justice system, Katherine, a 35-year-old single mother with three children, experienced failure at every turn. Leaving her abusive husband, she moved into the only apartment she could afford, and soon discovered a broken toilet and non- working oven, rats and roaches, and a fourthfloor landing with no railing. She began withholding rent pending repairs her landlord refused to make, but then her Medi-Cal benefits were cut off when she could not provide rent receipts. She lost health care for her children and herself, although she is a borderline diabetic in need of medication and her children were suffering from rat bites. Katherine tried to seek help through the courts. Representing herself at an administrative hearing, she lost her appeal to restore Medi-Cal benefits because she did not have proper documentation of the rent account. When she went to a courthouse to file a complaint against her landlord, she found the process so confusing that she gave up and went home. According to "The Path to Justice: A Five-Year Status Report on Access to Justice in California," prepared by the California Commission on Access to Justice, Katherine is just one of 4.6 million poor Californians whose basic civil legal needs -- often involving such critical needs as housing, health care, education, employment, safety and transportation -- are not being addressed. California has a critical dearth of legal services for the poor, and, as this report makes clear, it is imperative that the state join with the federal government and private funders to increase resources so that all Californians, regardless of income, have equal access to our justice system. Our justice system is predicated on the assumption that both parties will be represented by lawyers who act as gatekeepers and guides through a complex legal system that would otherwise be inaccessible to many of us. Unfortunately, the most vulnerable members of our society are the least able to afford legal services. California does have a strong network of legal aid organizations that try to help meet the needs of the poor, but there's just one legal aid lawyer available per 10,000 poor people. We may promise "justice for all," but for those who can't afford a lawyer, that promise is often a lie. In its new report, the Commission on Access to Justice notes some significant steps toward providing equal access to justice for all Californians. 