Category Archives: Access to Justice Generally

Guest Blogger Magistrate Simon Mole on How Colorado’s Early Experiments with Proactive Case Processing are Fascinating from an ATJ Perspective

Posted on May 14, 2013 by

John Greacen and Pamela Gagel have reported here on using court-convened initial status conferences for managing domestic relations cases. The status conferences enabled triage and the shepherding of pro se litigants via differential case management.  Greacen and Gagel give subtle … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Court Management, Guest Bloggers | Leave a comment

Towards a New Accss-Friendly Rules Project

Posted on May 9, 2013 by

Here is a potentially transformative idea that I raised at the recent Symposium at Harvard Law School on Civil Gideon. Maybe it is time to rethink the Federal Rules Project. Back when the Federal Rules were first being put in … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Court Management, Simplification | 1 Comment

Briefing Paper on Natural Alliance Between Legal Aid and Philanthropy

Posted on May 7, 2013 by

The Public Welfare Foundation and the Kresge Foundation have released an excellent and useful briefing paper on the relationship between legal aid and philanthropy. The core argument is simple: Ultimately, civil legal aid is a powerful tool that can increase … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Funding, Legal Aid | Leave a comment

Thoughts from the Canadian Envisioning Equal Justice Summit — Parallel Paths to Innovation and Access

Posted on April 30, 2013 by

I am just back from Vancouver and the Canadian Bar Association Envisioning Equal Justice Summit.  My main conclusion is that the Canadians and the US are now on very similar and potentially supportive paths. The Summit was brought together to … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, International Cooperation, Simplification, Technology, Triage | Tagged | 2 Comments

What a Day at the White House!

Posted on April 17, 2013 by

Yesterday, Tuesday, was a White House Forum on Increasing Access to Justice in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.  LSC and the White House were the co-hosts.  Some of the highlights for me — all showing what a different time this … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Dept. of Justice | Leave a comment

Access to Justice in Rural Areas — an Opportunity?

Posted on April 12, 2013 by

The New York Times has a fascinating article on how South Dakota is offering a subsidy to lawyers to serve rural areas. The new law, which will go into effect in June, requires a five-year commitment from the applicant and … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally | Leave a comment

Transitions

Posted on March 21, 2013 by

This seems to be a time of transitions in the access to justice world.  I’d like to take the opportunity to note the very significant contributions of those that I know about. Allison McDermott is leaving Pro Bono Net after … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally | Leave a comment

Memories of a Mentor, and Honoring a Prosecutor

Posted on March 18, 2013 by

On the 50th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainright, I keep thinking about one of my mentors, Brownlow (Browny) Speer, who died a few weeks ago. Browny was Chief Appellate Attorney of first the Massachusetts Defenders Committee, and then its successor, … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Criminal Law, Legal Ethics, Public Defender, Vocation | Leave a comment

Thoughts After the Gideon Fifty Year Anniversay Gathering at DOJ

Posted on March 16, 2013 by

I was privileged to be invited to be at the gathering yesterday at the Dept of Justice to mark the 50th anniversay of Gideon v. Wainright.  The gathering was organized by the Access to Justice Initiative of DOJ.  Among those … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Criminal Law, Defender Programs, Dept. of Justice, Supreme Court | Leave a comment

Mississippi Law Journal Symposium Issue on Access to Justice

Posted on March 9, 2013 by

The Mississippi Law Journal Symposium issue on access to justice is out.  All the articles are online.  Lots of useful citeable content. Here is the Table of Contents: Kristen Kyle-Castelli, Foreword: Poverty and Access to Justice Symposium Hon. Jess H. … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally | 1 Comment

Texas Chief Justice State of the Judiciary Message

Posted on March 6, 2013 by

Wallace Jefferson, the inspiring Chief Justice of Texas, has just issued his State of the Judiciary Message. I have bolded the language that might be most useful to quote, but the whole quote, and indeed the whole Message is worthy … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, E-filing, Self-Help Services | Leave a comment

Funded Technical Assistance on Access Availalbe to Courts from NCSC Center on Court Acces for All

Posted on January 11, 2013 by

Funded technical assistance on access to justice is now available to Courts from the NCSC Center on Court Acces for All.  This resource could be very helpful.  Here is the website  for  the assistance program. The forms this assistance might … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Court Management, Funding, Self-Help Services | 2 Comments

What We Need Now at DOJ

Posted on November 28, 2012 by

With the election over, its time to reflect on what kind of person we need to take on the crucial mantle of Larry Tribe and Mark Childress at the DOJ Access Initiative.  Its a very important job, and needs a … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Dept. of Justice | Leave a comment

Post Election Implications for Access to Justice — Part I: Broad Themes

Posted on November 8, 2012 by

This very much not an electoral politics blog.  But Tuesday had such strong implications for the access to justice discussion that I think it may be useful to start to think through some of the second level themes and implications … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Child Support, Court Management, Domestic Violence, LEP | 1 Comment

Important Call for Posters — Access to Justice Research Meeting

Posted on November 5, 2012 by

Here is the Call for Posters for the Access to Civil Justice: Re-envisioning and Reinvigorating Research Workshop, funded by NSF. This poster concept may not be familiar to all of us in access to justice, but it is now absolutely … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Meetings, Research and Evalation | 3 Comments