Monthly Archives: March 2013

Equal Justice Works Acepting Proposals for Veterans Projects

Posted on March 31, 2013 by richardzorza

Here is a description of the Project (note that positions are contingent upon funding from Amercorps): Equal Justice Works just released a Request for Proposals (RFP), seeking results-oriented host sites for the Veterans Legal Corps Fellowship Program, an exciting new … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, Veterans | Comments Off on Equal Justice Works Acepting Proposals for Veterans Projects

Malpractice Insurance Provider Writes Sympathetically About Unbundling

Posted on March 31, 2013 by richardzorza

One anxiety that has held back expansion of unbundling is fear that malpractice carriers will be unhappy with their clients providing unbundled legal assistance.  While this fear is largely dissipating, it is nice to see that one insurer’s blog has … Continue reading →

Posted in Unbundling | 1 Comment

Roundtable for Incubators at Equal Justice

Posted on March 30, 2013 by richardzorza

As you know, I am a huge fan of the incubator.  It is one of the “without-which” innovations that we have to put in place to get to 100% access to justice.  Among the obvious advantages: a path for law … Continue reading →

Posted in Incubators, Meetings | Comments Off on Roundtable for Incubators at Equal Justice

Report on Colorado Simplified Process Rule Option

Posted on March 29, 2013 by richardzorza

In 2004 Colorado put in place statewide a Rule 6.1 permitting the parties to use a simplified trial process in certain relatively low-stake cases. A report on this experiment is now available here, and it is reported on in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Research and Evalation, Simplification | Comments Off on Report on Colorado Simplified Process Rule Option

Important Letter From NSF on Interest in Acces to Justice

Posted on March 23, 2013 by richardzorza

NSF has issued an important “dear colleague” letter “Stimulating Research Related to the Use and Functioning of the Civil Justice System” on the agency’s continuing interest in access-type research.  While this is not a new solicitation, the letter makes clear … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, Research and Evalation | 5 Comments

ABA Access to Justice Commissions: Grants Made and Availability Announced

Posted on March 21, 2013 by richardzorza

Here is a list of grants just made to support the establishment/encouragement of new Access to Justice Commissions: Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education Supreme Court of Ohio Supreme Court of Oklahoma Philadelphia Bar Association Rhode Island Judiciary It … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Funding | 1 Comment

Transitions

Posted on March 21, 2013 by richardzorza

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 | Comments Off on Transitions

Good News Spreads More on Social Media — Implications for Outreach

Posted on March 20, 2013 by richardzorza

A fascinating story in the New York Times reports that while it s generally thought that bad news is more popular in traditional media, “if it bleeds, it leads,” the opposite is the case in social media.  The finding is … Continue reading →

Posted in Research and Evalation, Science, Social Media, Technology | 3 Comments

Randomized Studies Gain an Ally

Posted on March 19, 2013 by richardzorza

We do not usually track electoral politics on this blog, except when it directly impacts access to justice.  But this piece from Politico is irresistible in its description, by a Republican consultant, of how the Democrats used the scientific method … Continue reading →

Posted in Research and Evalation, Systematic Change, Technology | 2 Comments

National Coalition on Civil Right to Counsel Listing of Gideon Events

Posted on March 19, 2013 by richardzorza

The National Counsel on Civil Right to Counsel has put up a nice website on the events organized around the Gideon anniversary. Upcoming events include those in San Fransciso, DC, Durham NC, and Boston (Harvard – I will be speaking). … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Criminal Law, Defender Programs | Comments Off on National Coalition on Civil Right to Counsel Listing of Gideon Events

Memories of a Mentor, and Honoring a Prosecutor

Posted on March 18, 2013 by richardzorza

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 | Comments Off on Memories of a Mentor, and Honoring a Prosecutor

Thoughts After the Gideon Fifty Year Anniversay Gathering at DOJ

Posted on March 16, 2013 by richardzorza

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 | Comments Off on Thoughts After the Gideon Fifty Year Anniversay Gathering at DOJ

Will the Sequester Kill Innovation — and How to Prevent That

Posted on March 16, 2013 by richardzorza

While the sequester will do a lot of short damage — for example the loss of $29 million or so in legal aid funding, the real risk is to the culture of innovation. To the extent that managers in courts … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, Systematic Change | 1 Comment

Alaska Early Resolution Project Using Pro Bono

Posted on March 9, 2013 by richardzorza

Alaska has a great Early Resolution Project in which pro bono attorneys focus on cases which are settlement ready, as screened by the self-help center.  As the linked document explains: Early intervention is an effective component of settlement in family law … Continue reading →

Posted in Pro Bono, Self-Help Services | 1 Comment

Mississippi Law Journal Symposium Issue on Access to Justice

Posted on March 9, 2013 by richardzorza

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