The authors argue that legal empowerment during political transitions must take into account the numerous and varied obstacles that people living in poverty face in accessing justice. Challenging impunity and strengthening justice require explicitly targeting power asymmetries and addressing obstacles that are social, cultural, financial and systemic in nature. The article examines different types of legal empowerment and access to justice programmes, highlighting their benefits and challenges from a human rights perspective. Finally, it draws lessons from existing programmes for practitioners and policymakers working to improve access to justice in transitional contexts.