A Canadian Bar Association Task Force on Legal Literacy explored the relationship between literacy and access to the legal system. A literature review revealed that little attention had been directed to literacy and use of the legal system. Three important findings emerged from 24 focus groups of current and former adult learners: virtually all legal material is written in a manner peculiar to the legal system; adults with limited literacy are intimidated by the legal system and avoid initiating legal action; and they do not perceive that lawyers and the legal system are there to help them. Four important findings emerged from a national survey of 1,000 lawyers and interviews with 12 law firms: 73 percent of lawyers have had experience with a client or witness with limited literacy; lawyers are not yet aware of the extent to which people with limited literacy have serious problems undertaking the "search" that is a central part of using legal information and the legal system; lawyers presume a level of background competence in identifying legal problems that people with limited literacy do not have; and, to accommodate clients with limited literacy, practitioners rely on adjustments to practice procedures that still presume an ability to deal with written material. Task force recommendations dealt with four topics: reading ability, legal context, lawyer-client relationship, and relationship of intermediaries. Appendixes include 26 notes and a list of telephone services in alphabetical order by province and territory. A French version of the book is included. (Contains 29 references.) (YLB)