Monthly Archives: December 2014

Updated Post with Recent Stats: Will NYC Cops Prove that Most Arrests — and Indeed Most Cops — are unnecessary? Taking Advantage of a Natural Experiment

Posted on December 31, 2014 by richardzorza

More careful reading of the NYT leads me to update the post of a few minutes ago to include recent bolded police stats that would appear to support the contrarian hypothesis below. The news that arrests in NYC have fallen … Continue reading →

Posted in Criminal Law, Policing | 1 Comment

Will NYC Cops Prove that Most Arrests — and Indeed Most Cops — are unnecessary? Taking Advantage of a Natural Experiment

Posted on December 31, 2014 by richardzorza

An updated version of this post is here.  

Posted in Criminal Law, Policing | Comments Off on Will NYC Cops Prove that Most Arrests — and Indeed Most Cops — are unnecessary? Taking Advantage of a Natural Experiment

Wayne Moore’s Comments to the ABA on the Future of Legal Services for Moderate Income People

Posted on December 29, 2014 by richardzorza

As you know, the ABA Commission on the Future of Legal Services recently requested comments to use in its work.  While there are many worthwhile comments posted, I thought it useful to share this one in both longer (attached-linked) and shorter … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle Income, Systematic Change, Technology, Unbundling | 2 Comments

Important Step Forward and Model Approach for ATJ Commission with Best Practices In Administrative Area Issued Jointly with the Governor

Posted on December 28, 2014 by richardzorza

The Massachusetts ATJ Commission has scored another important first with the issuance together with the Governor of Best Practices for State Agencies to Enhance State Administrative Justice. The full text is reproduced below: Recognizing that administrative justice is a vital … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Administative Proecdure | Comments Off on Important Step Forward and Model Approach for ATJ Commission with Best Practices In Administrative Area Issued Jointly with the Governor

Press Clips Section of Voices Website Helps Create Momentum About Communications and More

Posted on December 21, 2014 by richardzorza

The Voices for Civil Justice website now includes a “Press Clips” section. This tool lets you see all the significant press coverage about legal aid (broadly defined).  It also lets you filter and sort based on a number of criteria … Continue reading →

Posted in Communications Strategy | Comments Off on Press Clips Section of Voices Website Helps Create Momentum About Communications and More

Sony Could Make “The Interview” Available For Free and Turn Its Story From a Disaster Into a Triumph for Freedom of Expresion and Access

Posted on December 20, 2014 by richardzorza

Supposing Sony, instead of giving in to intimidation and exercising self-censorship, announced it would now make the film available for free to any streaming or distribution system that would make it available to the public without any cost (perhaps acknowledging … Continue reading →

Posted in Freedom of Expression | 2 Comments

Illinois LegalAidOnline Shows Gives Wonderful Example of Online Fundraising

Posted on December 18, 2014 by richardzorza

Like all of us, I get many online fundraising pitches.  And I get occasional requests to use this blog for fundraising.  I almost never do.  But this graphic, from Illinois LegalAidOnline is so wonderful as a model that I can … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, Self-Help Services, Technology | 1 Comment

A Fabulous Job Opportunity at Voices for Civil Justice

Posted on December 16, 2014 by richardzorza

As most folks know, Voices for Civil Justice has been remaking the way we think about civil legal aid and access to justice.  While on one level it has merely been seeking the best way to talk to policy makers, … Continue reading →

Posted in Communications Strategy, Systematic Change | Comments Off on A Fabulous Job Opportunity at Voices for Civil Justice

A Fascinating Access to Justice Day in Pre-Op for Cataract Surgery

Posted on December 15, 2014 by richardzorza

Recently, I went through the pre-operative procedure for very minor surgery (cataract removal) at Johns Hopkins.  Two fascinating things happened. First,, the person told me to expect on the day of the procedure that the nurse would ask me just … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Judicial Ethics, Medical System Comparision | 2 Comments

NYT “Fixes” Column Highlights “Downshift Jobs” as Problem Solver — Consider Legal System Implications

Posted on December 12, 2014 by richardzorza

Those who are worried about the emerging trend to use more non-lawyers in the legal system, including perhaps in the courtroom, might be somewhat reassured by the evidence that this approach is being used in other professions.  Indeed, a recent … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Non-Lawyer Practice, Research and Evalation, Systematic Change, Technology | Comments Off on NYT “Fixes” Column Highlights “Downshift Jobs” as Problem Solver — Consider Legal System Implications

Webinar on IV-D Funding for Self-Help Services — How to TRIPLE Your Money

Posted on December 11, 2014 by richardzorza

Awareness is slowly growing that Federal IV-D  funding has the potential to triple state investments in child support and related activities.  Obviously this funding stream, which is not capped, has the potential to help states build out a very significant … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Support, Funding, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on Webinar on IV-D Funding for Self-Help Services — How to TRIPLE Your Money

ABA Commission on Future of Legal Services Comment Deadline Extended to Dec 20

Posted on December 10, 2014 by richardzorza

The deadline for comments to the ABA Commission on the Future of Legal Services issues document has been extended to Dec 20.  I have previously blogged with some ideas. Here are some more thoughts: Institutionalized Consumer Input Should there, perhaps, … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally | Comments Off on ABA Commission on Future of Legal Services Comment Deadline Extended to Dec 20

ABA Commission on Future of Legal Services Comments — Now Due Dec 20 — Some Challenging Thoughts

Posted on December 6, 2014 by richardzorza

Update:  The comment period has been extended to Dec 20. +++++++++++++++++++++++ I should have blogged about this weeks ago.  But the due date of Dec 10 for comments on the ABA Commission on the Future of Legal Services has almost … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Attorney-Client, Legal Aid, Systematic Change | 1 Comment

What Might a National Expungement Strategy Look Like?

Posted on December 4, 2014 by richardzorza

There is now pretty wide bi-partisan and multi-regional agreement that we have to make the re-entry of the convicted into society much easier, and that expunging prior criminal records will be an important part of this initiative. While lots of … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Criminal Law, Defender Programs, Dept. of Justice, expungement, Legal Aid, LEP | Comments Off on What Might a National Expungement Strategy Look Like?

Preparing for DAPA: A New Self-Help Need for Court and Community-Based Legal Aid

Posted on December 4, 2014 by richardzorza

The State Justice Institute has just distributed a memo on likely ways that the President’s Delayed Action for Parental Accountability program will result in requests for help to state courts.  The nub of the memo is here: The requirements for … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Court Management, Immigration, Legal Aid, Self-Help Services | 1 Comment