Human-Centered Justice: What We Can Learn from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Access DOJ Initiative

In June 2024, after two years of behind-the-scenes work, the U.S. Department of Justice officially launched Access DOJ, a department-wide initiative to use human-centered design to improve access to programs and services. Led by the Office for Access to Justice, this initiative is transforming how one of the most complex legal systems in the world serves its communities.

At its core, Access DOJ is about making justice services easier, more effective, and more efficient, meeting people where they are and ensuring no one is left behind.

A Simple but Powerful Methodology

The DOJ’s approach mirrors the methodology we teach in our Legal Design Certification:

1. Learn – Review existing research, understand people’s needs, and map out barriers.

2. Create – Identify and design solutions that meet those needs.

3. Evaluate – Test for usability: is it easy, effective, and efficient?

This process may sound like common sense, but in practice, it requires discipline and rigor. Crucially, usability testing cannot be skipped. Without it, there’s no way to measure whether solutions actually improve outcomes, and no way to demonstrate value to stakeholders.

Case Study 1: Increasing Access to Bankruptcy Meetings

In collaboration with the U.S. Trustee Program, Access DOJ worked to increase access to required bankruptcy meetings. By applying human-centered design, they identified barriers to participation and simplified the process, ensuring that individuals could meet legal requirements without unnecessary complexity.

📖 Learn more here.

Case Study 2: Redesigning the Presidential Pardon Application

Perhaps the most striking example so far is the redesign of the presidential pardon application form, in collaboration with the Office of the Pardon Attorney. The old form was daunting: lengthy, complex, and intimidating. Applicants often believed the information they provided could be used against them. Many felt they needed costly legal assistance just to complete it.

The redesigned form changes everything:

• Clear language reduces complexity and improves comprehension.

• Simplified information architecture makes it easy to navigate.

• Transparency and examples reduce fear and uncertainty.

• Substantial word count reduction and lower reading level make it accessible to more users.

The result? A form that is respectful, transparent, and truly accessible, opening the door to justice for many who had previously been excluded.

📖 Learn more here.

Lessons for Legal Designers Everywhere

Access DOJ offers important lessons for anyone working with contracts, policies, or legal processes:

• Find your champions. Change happens when leaders believe in human-centered design.

• Focus on high-impact projects. Don’t try to fix everything at once, start where the need is greatest.

• Show, don’t tell. Demonstrate improvements with real prototypes and usability data.

• Get quick wins. Early successes build trust and momentum.

• Commit to continuous improvement. Legal design is never “one and done.”

Why This Matters

Legal design isn’t just a trend. It’s a proven, ISO-backed methodology for making law more usable. What the DOJ is doing in bankruptcy and pardon processes is the same mindset we bring to contracts, compliance, and legal documents worldwide. By starting small, testing rigorously, and scaling what works, organizations can unlock immense value, for businesses, for governments, and for the people they serve.

The Access DOJ initiative proves what we already know: human-centered design is the future of justice.

👉 Explore the DOJ Access Initiative here.