The Legal Aid movement is indeed at the crossroads today. The agenda for improving access to justice is an important part of social policy. At one level, social distinctions based on caste, class, gender and ethnicity impede the ability of citizens to approach the judicial system. At the same time, the limited reach of the judicial system further creates the conditions for more inequality since the oppressed sections are unable to seek redress for their injuries and grievances. It is in recognition of these persistent problems that we must chart out our steps for strengthening the legal aid movement. I hope that the initiatives taken to train young persons as ‘paralegals’ will prove to be successful and also serve as a model which can be replicated all over the country. All stakeholders in the legal system should wholeheartedly support the deepening of the reach of legal aid services.