Not only are there relatively more poor people living in Florida than anywhere else in the nation, but there are also relatively fewer paid attorneys helping them sort out the legal troubles that affect their basic needs.

That is according to the latest annual profile of the legal profession by the American Bar Association. Its inclusion this year of details on civil legal aid attorneys is new and motivated in part by a 2022 Legal Services Corporation report that determined the poor get help with just 8% of their legal issues.

“This sheds light on their distribution nationwide and scarcity, the profound impact of their role, and the urgent need to increase their presence in many communities,” wrote ABA President Mary Smith about paid civil legal aid attorneys in the introduction to the organization’s fifth annual profile.