The legal system struggles to keep up with the needs of everyday people, resulting in an access to justice gap. Millions face legal problems, yet affordable help is still hard to find. A new report from Stanford shows that innovative companies like Rasa are helping to close this gap. The study highlights how technology, new business models, and regulatory reforms are changing the way people can access justice.

As a licensed Alternative Business Structure in Arizona, and as a participant in Utah’s regulatory sandbox, Rasa shows how smart reforms can open the legal system to more people. Below we’ll explore how Arizona and Utah structured their reforms. We’ll also look at how we at Rasa have used these changes to make record clearance more affordable and effective, as highlighted in the Stanford report.

Alternative Business Structures

Law firm ownership and investment has been shaped by ethics rules, especially the American Bar Association’s Rule 5.4. This rule prohibits non-lawyers from owning part of a law firm. While designed to preserve lawyers’ independent judgment, and to protect consumers, Rule 5.4 also makes it harder for legal service organizations to innovate and scale affordable legal services. 

In 2020, the state of Arizona took a major step when it revised Rule 5.4 and introduced Alternative Business Structures. These licenses let non-lawyers share in the ownership of law firms. The change was designed to attract new capital, encourage innovation, and make it possible to test modern service models. ABS structures are now being studied as one approach to providing legal services to people who could otherwise not access them.

How Rasa Closes the Access to Justice Gap

Rasa is a licensed Alternative Business Structure in Arizona. This license gives us the freedom to grow in ways that would be impossible otherwise. By opening the door to new types of investment, ABS entities like Rasa can bring in outside capital and attract talented software engineers who work for equity in the company. This flexibility helps us build tools and services that make legal help faster, more efficient, and more affordable.

Unauthorized Practice of Law and the Utah Sandbox

In most states, rules about the Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL) are very strict. These rules limit how legal services can be delivered and restrict the role that non-lawyers can play in the process. State Bar Associations often bar non-lawyers from giving legal advice, preparing legal documents, or engaging in other parts of the legal process. While the goal is to protect consumers, an unintended result has been fewer affordable options for people who need help.

In 2020, Utah decided to try something new. The state created a “regulatory sandbox” to test fresh ideas and loosen UPL rules under close supervision. Utah also changed the law and regulations around financing and creating legal entities. The goal of this program was to close the justice gap, and provide services to people who otherwise cannot access them. 

How Rasa Uses the Sandbox 

Rasa is one of the companies participating in Utah’s sandbox program. Our participation in the sandbox lets us deliver record clearance services in Utah in ways that are not allowed under traditional rules. For example, we use technology along with trained non-lawyer staff to support clients. This makes record clearance faster and more affordable in Utah, while being closely monitored for quality and safety.

The sandbox makes it possible for Rasa to bring down costs, speed up services, and reach more people. It also shows that when regulators create room for new approaches, mission-driven companies can deliver real impact. These efforts in both Utah and Arizona demonstrate the potential of reform and set the stage for understanding its broader impact.

The Stanford Report on Regulatory Reform

Recently, Stanford legal researchers released a report looking at how these new approaches to legal services and entities are developing. The study mostly focused on Alternative Business Structure models in Arizona and sandbox experiments in Utah. The goal was to measure the impact of these reforms on access to justice.

The Stanford report generally shows that new business models are helping more people access legal help. In Arizona, the number of ABS entities is growing. In Utah, however, the sandbox has fewer participants than at first. Still, the focus is shifting toward long-term sustainability and outcomes. 

The report also shows that the main beneficiaries of these reforms are individual consumers and small businesses. More than that, new models have expanded access across a wide range of legal issues, not just record clearance. Finally, the study did not find a significant amount of consumer harm, which indicates that things are developing in a new and sustainable way.

Key Trends

The Stanford report also points to several trends shaping the future of reform:

• Technology, including artificial intelligence, is playing a larger role in how services are delivered.
• Outside investment, from private equity and venture funds, raises new opportunities and questions.
• Regulators are paying closer attention to consumer outcomes, such as affordability, quality, and long-term access.
• Market participation has more services tailored to individual consumers and small businesses.

Together, these results show both the promise and the complexity of reform. They also provide important context for real-world examples, where companies like Rasa demonstrate how these ideas translate into affordable, effective legal services that help close the justice gap.

Rasa in Context

Rasa sits at the center of many of the areas of focus in the Stanford report. As both a licensed Alternative Business Structure in Arizona and a sandbox participant in Utah, Rasa provides a rare chance to study how reforms work across different models. This dual presence makes us an important example of how regulatory change can directly improve access to justice.

Further Closing the Justice Gap

The Stanford report shows that reforms like Alternative Business Structures and non-lawyer sandboxes help expand access to legal services. By loosening old restrictions, these models open the door to innovation, new investment, and lower costs for consumers. Our model demonstrates the trends and results mentioned in the study, including:

1. Technology: Because of UPL exceptions, we are able to use automation and simple online tools to guide people through record clearance. Our eligibility tool, which helps people check if they qualify to clear their criminal record, is an example of this. It cuts down on confusion and reduces the time it takes to get answers.
2. Accessibility: Rasa’s modern, user-friendly application is easy for people to use, and our flat-rate pricing model makes our services transparent and affordable to consumers. Instead of charging by the hour, we offer clear and predictable costs. This lowers the barrier for people who might not otherwise be able to afford legal help. Another part of Rasa’s mission is to support impacted communities. In Utah, we hire and train people with criminal records to assist others in the navigation process, which would be much more difficult without UPL exceptions. Individual access to legal services and opportunities beyond record clearance are enhanced by these types of reforms.
3. Outcomes: When people clear their records, they gain access to better jobs, housing, and stability. By combining technology with regulatory reform, Rasa has been able to improve lives across two very different markets: Arizona and Utah.

Rasa shows how the big questions raised by the Stanford report about investment, technology, and consumer outcomes can be addressed in practice. We demonstrate that innovation is not only possible but also effective in making legal help more fair, affordable, and widely available. Our model, which works in both Arizona and Utah, is flexible and built to last.

Looking Forward

The Stanford report highlights the regulatory innovation that is needed and working. When states test new models, like Arizona’s Alternative Business Structure system or Utah’s sandbox, they create room for fresh ideas and new solutions.

Rasa shows how these reforms can succeed in practice. By combining technology, accessibility, and smart regulation, we make record clearance more affordable and accessible. Our work proves that legal reform is not just a theory, but that it also closes the justice gap in reality. For a closer look at how these reforms are changing people’s lives right now, you can read Heather’s #1in3 story. Heather is one of many people we’ve helped move past a criminal record, thanks to innovation.