Do wealthier people have an advantage in court because they can afford more elite lawyers than the poor?

It depends on the type of case, but often wealthier people do have an advantage. In civil cases, the poor are often completely unable to obtain the services of a lawyer, or are limited to less experienced lawyers.

More importantly, in order to prepare a case for trial, a litigant must do substantial investigation and preparation. A wealthy person may be able to hire investigators and experts to review the case, and hire jury consultants and other professionals to help prepare the trial, whereas a person of limited means would be limited to his or her own devises.