The New Mexico Supreme Court has appointed a work group to consider whether the state should allow licensed legal technicians to provide civil legal services.

The court has asked the group to submit a report by January 2020, according to a May 21 press releaseCourthouse News Service and the Las Cruces Sun News have coverage.

The state supreme court is asking for recommendations regarding legal technicians, as well as other possible changes in court rules and programs to improve the availability of legal services in the state.

The press release includes some statistics illustrating the dearth of lawyers in some areas. Twenty-one percent of New Mexico’s counties have five or fewer lawyers, and two counties have no attorneys. A third of the state’s counties have 10 or fewer attorneys, according to the press release. Read more