Category Archives: Legal Aid

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 on the LSC TIG Solicitation

Posted on February 21, 2013 by

The LSC Technology Grants solicitation is out, with short letters of intent due March 18.  While applications must be made by existing LSC grantees, there is great openness to cooperative grants in which access to justice partners, including courts, are … Continue reading →

Posted in Document Assembly, Forms, Law Schools, Legal Aid, LSC, Metrics, Pro Bono, Software Developers, Technology, Triage | 1 Comment

Maryland ATJ Commission Uses Useful Techniques to Report on Economic Benefits of Legal Aid Advocacy

Posted on January 12, 2013 by

The Maryland Access to Justice Commission has just released a Report detailing economic benefits to the state of legal aid. As detailed in the press release, the benefits are as follows: Brought $9.9 million in federal dollars into Maryland to … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget Issues, Domestic Violence, Foreclosure, Legal Aid, Outcome Measures | 1 Comment

What Might a State Level Access Leadership Structure Look Like — and How We Might Move in That Direction

Posted on December 30, 2012 by

As states assume a larger role in the long term strategy for a national access to justice infrastructure, it might be a good time to start a discussion about what a comprehensive state level access leadership structure might looks like.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Legal Aid | 2 Comments

NLADA Launches Legal Research Website

Posted on December 2, 2012 by

This is the week that the NSF-supported session on an access to justice agenda takes place in Chicago, so it is particularly appropriate that NLADA is now launching its Research Site.  They describe their goal as follows: NLADA is deeply … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Aid, Research and Evalation | Leave a comment

After the Elections — Institutional Implications

Posted on November 27, 2012 by

I promised some discussion of post-election access to justice institutional implications.  Here, somewhat later than I had hoped, it is. Institutional Stability The first point is obvious.  The LSC and SJI Boards stay the same, as a practical matter for … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Funding, Legal Aid | Leave a comment

ABA Sets Up Juvenile Collateral Consequences Site

Posted on October 1, 2012 by

This site is  nice clean example of using technology to alert people to problems that they might otherwise ignore.  It is designed to let juveniles think about the possible consequences of juvenile pleas that go beyond the obvious. I also … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Aid, Public Defender | Leave a comment

LSC Adds “Outside” VP for Grants Management With Extensive Public-Private Partnership Experience

Posted on September 21, 2012 by

LSC’s appointment of  new VP for Grants Management has been reported before. But it is still probably worth underlining what a significant and welcome departure it is to bring in someone who has perspectives way beyond the legal aid world, … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Aid, LSC | Leave a comment

Transformative Fact Sheet from Laura Abel, National Center for Access to Justice, in Economic Benefits of Legal Aid

Posted on September 17, 2012 by

I almost never use the phrase “must see,” but here is the exception that proves the rule. Laura Abel has prepared a documented two-pager on Economic Benefits of Civil Legal Aid. Headlines (all documented): Civil legal aid saves public money … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, Legal Aid | Leave a comment

How to — and How Not to — Talk about Increasing Resources for Access Services

Posted on August 30, 2012 by

In the last few days, I have been in three different conversations about how to talk about the need for resource for access advocacy. There has been a common theme in these discussions — the unfortunate tendency for this to … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, Legal Aid | Leave a comment

The Age/Innovation Conundrum and Implications for Access to Justice

Posted on August 18, 2012 by

A fascinating post several months ago in the New York Times Economix blog, Getting More Liberal With Age, deals with the age-old conundrum as to whether people really become more conservative as they get older. In contrast to received wisdom: A … Continue reading →

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

Guide to VISTA for Legal Aid Programs

Posted on July 21, 2012 by

This is nice.  As posed on the DOJ Access Initiative website, DOJ in partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service has issued a Guide to Vista for Legal Aid Programs. From the Guide: Vistas Helping with Technology: Minnesota … Continue reading →

Posted in Dept. of Justice, Funding, Legal Aid | Leave a comment

Setting Public Goals for Access Commissions: The Massachusetts Model

Posted on May 7, 2012 by

Kudos to the Massachusetts ATJ Commission for publicly setting itself objectives that are both concrete and ambitious — and for assigning groups and individuals to be responsible for moving them forward.  I am particularly impressed that goals for working with … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Funding, Judicial Ethics, Legal Aid, Legal Ethics, Self-Help Services, Technology, Transparency | Leave a comment

LSC Intake Rules– LSC Asks for Comment on Proposed Program Letter

Posted on March 27, 2012 by

LSC has posted for requested comment a proposed Program Letter on “Financial Eligibility Screening Guidelines.”  The whole draft is here.  Comments are due April 25. Here is the body of the proposed Program Letter (footnotes omitted):

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Legal Aid, LSC, Technology, Triage | 2 Comments

Exciting Triage Progress at TIG Conference

Posted on January 15, 2012 by

I am pleased to report that our sessions at the TIG Conference on Intake, Triage, and Technology were very successful. One session reviewed where we are now, with a focus on how court self-help centers decide who gets what help, … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Aid, Research and Evalation, Self-Help Services, Systematic Change, Technology, Triage | 5 Comments