The Justice Gap in Black and White: Race, Gender, and the Rise of Pro Se Litigation in America (2015–2025)

The Justice Gap in Black and White: Race, Gender, and the Rise of Pro Se Litigation in America (2015–2025)

By La’Tonya Nicole Ford, Author of The Compensation Litigation Series

A groundbreaking exposé backed by a decade of data, The Justice Gap in Black and White uncovers the systemic inequities embedded in America's civil justice system—and the silent revolution of self-representation rising in response.

Millions of Americans are forced to face the courts without legal representation, not by choice, but because they’ve been priced out of justice. Behind the statistics lies a deeper crisis: Black litigants, women, and low-income families are disproportionately left to navigate a legal system stacked against them.

This white paper delivers:

✅ Verified data showing the exponential rise in self-represented litigants (SRLs) from 2015–2025

✅ A racial and gender breakdown of who is going to court without legal support—and why

✅ Shocking statistics, including Georgia’s ratio of only 1.3 legal aid attorneys for every 10,000 low-income residents

✅ Florida’s critical data revealing widespread lack of legal representation, with over 80% of tenants facing eviction without counsel while 90% of landlords are represented

✅ Evidence of disparities in legal aid access, public defender shortages, and court bias

✅ In-depth analysis of how police misconduct, government overreach, and employment discrimination drive marginalized communities into court alone

✅ A bold call to action for Congress, state courts, and legal institutions to stop abandoning SRLs

✅ Solutions: Highlighting innovative platforms like Pro Se Powerhouse that are filling the void with scalable, tech-driven, justice-centered alternatives

This is not just another justice reform report. It is a call to confront a moral and legal crisis that disproportionately affects the vulnerable—especially Black Americans and women—while challenging a profession that has long protected its own gatekeepers.

About the Author:

La’Tonya Nicole Ford is a nationally recognized legal strategist, damage expert witness, and the founder of Pro Se Powerhouse. Her work bridges data analytics with grassroots legal empowerment, reshaping what access to justice can truly look like.

Perfect for:

✔️ Legal scholars, journalists, and policymakers

✔️ Civil rights advocates and community leaders

✔️ Self-represented litigants seeking clarity and support

✔️ Anyone ready to rethink what “justice for all” really means