In July 2024, the Legal Aid Association of California convened a working group of leaders from California’s legal aid organizations to explore the potential for a Community Justice Worker (CJW) program. This group was led by Legal Link and OneJustice, with advice and support from Stanford Law School’s Deborah L. Rhode Center on the Legal Profession and Frontline Justice.
 
Discussions focused on expanding the reach and impact of legal aid organizations by allowing nonlawyer staff and community members, with attorney training and supervision, to independently do discrete legal procedures for which there is a deep and unmet need. The Community Justice Worker proposal and efforts were born of this collaboration, dedicated to expanding access to justice across California.