Every person in South Australia is required to live under and obey the law. Every person is also entitled to use the law to protect her or his rights and interests. If some members of the community but not others have access to the protection of the law, then people are denied justice, and the law itself inevitably becomes unfair.

The Legal Services Commission is jointly funded by both the South Australian and the Common Wealth Governments. It was established in 1977 to increase access to legal services for those people who cannot afford to pay for private legal representation. This mandate is spelt out in the Legal Services Commission Act 1977, which gives the Commission broad powers and responsibilities to work towards equality before the law for all South Australians.

The Legal Services Commission's services to the community can be divided into three main areas - advice, community education and legal representation.