One of the fundamental underpinnings of our judicial system is that transparency leads to a fairer and more just legal process. As the namesake of my alma mater, Justice Louis D. Brandeis once said, "sunlight is the best disinfectant," and our legal system flourishes when people have easy access to information.
Accessing information about court proceedings can be difficult if there is a paywall that prevents people from acquiring such information for free. Although the court system may only charge a modest sum per page, this can add up fast.
Access costs might not seem like a substantial amount of money to lawyers and law firms, many of which might get reimbursed for access costs from their clients. However, pro se parties, smaller nonprofits, and some journalists might not have deep pockets to scour certain judicial proceedings, and having a paywall can hurt the legal system by impeding their access to justice.
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