Author Archives: richardzorza

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About richardzorza

I am deeply involved in access to justice and the patient voice movement.

Meet Claudia Johnson’s Daughter Scarlet Johnson, Now Blogging Too

Posted on August 25, 2016 by richardzorza

Everyone in our network knows Claudia Johnson, who frequently guest blogs in this space. But I bet you did not know that her daughter Scarlet Johnson is now a blogger too, launching her blogging with this contribution, which exudes her … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Discrimination, Guest Bloggers, This Blog | Comments Off on Meet Claudia Johnson’s Daughter Scarlet Johnson, Now Blogging Too

Twenty First Century Strategic Planning and Innovation Deployment — Lessons From the 2016 Campaigns

Posted on August 21, 2016 by richardzorza

A fascinating article and followup chat in the Washington Post may well lead us to a wiser and more effective strategic planning and innovation process for access to justice.  The general approach applies to any such process, and to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Court Management, Systematic Change | Comments Off on Twenty First Century Strategic Planning and Innovation Deployment — Lessons From the 2016 Campaigns

A Dependencies Tool To Assist in ATJ Strategic Planning and Use of the JFA Guidance

Posted on August 19, 2016 by richardzorza

I am sharing, in the hope it may make the process of access to justice strategic planning both for the community at large and specifically those participating in the Justice for All RFP and associated processes, this document that is … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Access to Justice Generally, Court Management | 4 Comments

Integrating the ABA Futures Report and the Justice For All Components

Posted on August 14, 2016 by richardzorza

Its finally here, the ABA Future of Legal Services Report. As expected, it covers a lot of ground, and is a lot to read. As an aid to speedy integration into other projects, I have prepared this table that compares … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, ABA, Access to Counsel, Access to Justice Generally, Alternative Business Structures, Attorney-Client, Bar Associations, Court Fees and Costs, Court Management, Document Assembly, E-filing, Incnetives, Law Schools, Legal Aid, Legal Ethics, LEP, Mediation, Middle Income, Mixed Model, Non-Lawyer Practice, Outcome Measures, Plain Language, Planning, Referral Systems, Research and Evalation, Rules Reform, Self-Help Services, Simplification, Systematic Change, Technology, Transparency, Triage, Unbundling | 2 Comments

A Blockbuster Recommendation In the ABA Futures Report Is for A National Commission on Uniform Court Forms

Posted on August 14, 2016 by richardzorza

The Recommendation, at page 46 , of the Report, reads as follows: “The ABA, the National Center for State Courts, the Conference of Chief Justices, and the Conference of State Court Administrators should collaborate to create a National Commission on … Continue reading →

Posted in ABA, Access to Justice Generally, Forms, Plain Language, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on A Blockbuster Recommendation In the ABA Futures Report Is for A National Commission on Uniform Court Forms

Fascinating Parallel Between Rule Against Diagnosis Without Examination By Psychiatrists and Legal Information/Judgement Distinction

Posted on August 9, 2016 by richardzorza

Here is the link to the recent statement by the American Psychiatric Association President drawing attention to the so-called “Goldwater Rule”: On occasion psychiatrists are asked for an opinion about an individual who is in the light of public attention … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Ethics, Self-Help Services | 1 Comment

More on the Proposed Single Measure for Access to Justice

Posted on August 9, 2016 by richardzorza

The more I think and talk with folks about the proposed single measure for access to justice, the more I think we might be on to something that could tell us what we want to know, would allow for comparison … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Access to Justice Generally, Outcome Measures, Series: Outcome Measures | 6 Comments

The Guidance for the Justice For All Strategic Planning Process Will Help In Many Ways Beyond The Development of Planning Project Proposals

Posted on August 3, 2016 by richardzorza

The Justice for All Strategic Planning Guidance Materials are now published here. They will be very helpful for the states that are in the process of putting together the proposals for strategic planning money that are due on October 5, … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Planning, Tools, Triage | 1 Comment

Thinking About a Single Quantitative Measure for Access to Justice

Posted on August 3, 2016 by richardzorza

Recent Guidance issued by the White House to all Federal agencies on the process for estimating environmental impact, as required by law, may well point the way for how to we think about access to justice indicators, as envisioned in … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Access to Justice Generally, Planning, Series: Outcome Measures, Transparency, White House | 1 Comment

Politico Report on Agency Planing for Next Administration Underlines Importance of Laying the Groundwork Now — But We Have to Ask

Posted on August 2, 2016 by richardzorza

An interesting story in Politico reports that Federal agencies are continuing to move forward with regulatory-type initiatives that could only be completed in the next administration, implicitly assuming a Democratic victory. The Obama administration is seemingly so confident of a … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Court Management, Non-Lawyer Practice, White House | Comments Off on Politico Report on Agency Planing for Next Administration Underlines Importance of Laying the Groundwork Now — But We Have to Ask

Anne Holton, VP Nominee Tim Kaine’s Wife, was a Legal Aid Lawyer for Thirteen years, and a Judge for Seven

Posted on July 22, 2016 by richardzorza

According to Wikipedia: Following graduation from law school, Holton served as a law clerk for Judge Robert R. Merhige, Jr. of the Richmond-based United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. From 1985 to 1998, she worked as … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Legal Aid, Vocation, White House | Comments Off on Anne Holton, VP Nominee Tim Kaine’s Wife, was a Legal Aid Lawyer for Thirteen years, and a Judge for Seven

Claudia Johnson Guest Post: Appellate Courts show willingness to reverse decisions where due process and decisions are not explained in SRL cases—Are DV cases the canary and a natural for innovation?

Posted on July 20, 2016 by richardzorza

Multiple decisions have come to my attention where appellate courts are reversing trial courts on cases where one of the parties did not have a lawyer. All cases come from Domestic  Violence dockets. Is this a new trend for DV … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Appellate Practice, Document Assembly, Domestic Violence, Family Law, Guest Bloggers, Judicial Ethics, Self-Help Services | 1 Comment

Would Having Famous White Actors Re-Enact Being the Shooting Victims Help Change White Attitudes?

Posted on July 14, 2016 by richardzorza

It is great that celebrities are being used to draw attention to the wide variety of situations in which Black people can be shot by cops in the US. But surely it would be more of an opinion changer if … Continue reading →

Posted in Chasm with Communities, Constitution, Criminal Law, Policing | 2 Comments

The Legal System Continues, per Ginsburg, J., To Protect the Constitutional System Against Trump

Posted on July 11, 2016 by richardzorza

Yesterday morning the New York Times published a precedent-shattering interview with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Unless they have a book to sell, Supreme Court justices rarely give interviews. Even then, they diligently avoid political topics. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg takes … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Constitution, Judicial Ethics, Supreme Court, White House | 1 Comment

Advocate System Versus System That Does Not Need Advocates

Posted on July 8, 2016 by richardzorza

A recent conversation with my friend Peter Fielding, a doctor who lives at our retirement community about patient/client advocates led to some interesting conclusions for both the medical and legal worlds. When Peter and I discussed the fact that some … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Attorney-Client, Medical System Comparision, Systematic Change | 6 Comments