Author Archives: richardzorza

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About richardzorza

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

My Video on Ensuring that the Litigant Voice is Heard as We Transform the System to 100% Access

Posted on May 11, 2016 by richardzorza

I am experimenting with making short videos that express hopefully challenging ideas about access to justice transformation. In the first one, made for the SRLN Pre-Conference held as part of this years Equal Justice Conference, I discuss some approaches to … Continue reading →

Posted in Litigant Voice, video | 3 Comments

Important Suggestions for All of Us as State Dept Official Comments on What Retired Foreign Service Officers Can and Might Tell People Around the World to Reassure About US Stability

Posted on May 11, 2016 by richardzorza

At the American Foreign Services Association day at the U.S State Department on Friday, I got to ask John Heffern, Principal Assistant Deputy Secretary, and a career officer, about what retired Foreign Services Officers could and might tell their friends … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, International Cooperation | Comments Off on Important Suggestions for All of Us as State Dept Official Comments on What Retired Foreign Service Officers Can and Might Tell People Around the World to Reassure About US Stability

Video of the SRLN Day at the Equal Justice Conference Will be Available

Posted on May 11, 2016 by richardzorza

Video will soon be made available. Full agenda below (Central time): 7:30 – 8:30 Newbie Coffee Hour Led by Melissa Moss, Deputy Director for Strategic Initiatives at The Florida Bar Foundation. See http://www.srln.org/node/905 for details. If this is your 1st … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Meetings, SRLN | Comments Off on Video of the SRLN Day at the Equal Justice Conference Will be Available

US Institutions, Maybe Even SCOTUS, Prepare to Protect Against a President Trump

Posted on May 10, 2016 by richardzorza

I just posted on my Politics and Humor blog, a post about how US institutions are moving to prepare to protect themselves (and us too) against a possible Trump presidency. I share here the highly speculative paragraph on the Supreme … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally | 1 Comment

Opportunities at the New Access to Justice Research Lab at Harvard Law

Posted on May 6, 2016 by richardzorza

A big step forward.  These wonderful job opportunities at the new Harvard Law Access to Justice Research Lab established by Jim Greiner.  This from Jim: The Access to Justice Lab is a startup effort, with sufficient funding in hand for … Continue reading →

Posted in Research and Evalation | Comments Off on Opportunities at the New Access to Justice Research Lab at Harvard Law

Launching My Politics and Humor Blog – “zorzapolitics”

Posted on May 6, 2016 by richardzorza

For a long time, I have been wanting to launch a politics and humor blog. I have held back, largely because I did not want to to dilute in any way the non-partisanship inherent in this access to justice blog’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Political Support | 1 Comment

New Book on “Single Payer” has Important Insights on Lessons From Medicine For Access to Justice

Posted on May 4, 2016 by richardzorza

My friend, and commentator on this blog, Dr. Jim Burdick, has just published his new book, Talking about Single Payer. Jim forcefully makes the case, based on his experience in the transplant world, for a system in which the availability … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, Medical System Comparision, Triage, video | Comments Off on New Book on “Single Payer” has Important Insights on Lessons From Medicine For Access to Justice

Council of Economic Advisors Report on Costs and Benefits of Incarceration Versus Other Approaches Incudes Excellent Arguments for Broader Impact of Access to Civil Justice

Posted on April 29, 2016 by richardzorza

When the White House Council of Economic Advisors (CEA) speaks, the world listens. And, indeed, when the CEA issued Economic Perspectives on Incarceration and the Criminal Justice System, it was a very big deal. What was unusual was that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Budget Issues, Chasm with Communities, Criminal Law, expungement, Family Law, Legal Aid, Outcome Measures, Poverty, Research and Evalation, Science, White House | 3 Comments

China, Environmentalists and the Rule of Law

Posted on April 28, 2016 by richardzorza

China’s crackdown on independent expression continues, and we always wonder what we can do. Maybe one approach may come from what at least some commentators believe is a greater interest in international cooperation from the Chinese leadership in the environmental … Continue reading →

Posted in International Cooperation | Comments Off on China, Environmentalists and the Rule of Law

Importance of White House Initiative, Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable, Gets Recognition in DC Bar Journal

Posted on April 28, 2016 by richardzorza

The current issue of Washington Lawyer, the DC bar journal, contains a great article on the Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable. The article, under the title Ensuring Justice for All:  The White House Plan, finally gives some public recognition to the importance … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Dept. of Justice, Federal Agencies, Funding, Legal Aid, White House | Comments Off on Importance of White House Initiative, Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable, Gets Recognition in DC Bar Journal

Maybe Flight Attendants Can Teach Courts Something about Overcoming Unconscious Bias

Posted on April 24, 2016 by richardzorza

I think there is pretty broad agreement that all of us who work in and with the court system that it could benefit to more mindfulness in dealing with unconscious bias. A recent article in the Washington Post by a … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Discrimination, Judicial Ethics | Comments Off on Maybe Flight Attendants Can Teach Courts Something about Overcoming Unconscious Bias

Supreme Court Nominee Garland’s Perhaps Unprecedented Speech Today Highlights Access to Justice

Posted on April 21, 2016 by richardzorza

The normal rule is that Supreme Court nominees do not give speeches or interviews to the media.  But, then, the normal rule is also that the Senate does not block a highly respected and previously easily confirmed nominee a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Pro Bono, Supreme Court, White House | 2 Comments

Today’s Legal Humor Aside

Posted on April 19, 2016 by richardzorza

When at Harvard Law School Cruz reportedly set up a study group that allowed as members only those who had been to Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. So, while Cruz is clerking at the Court, a bunch of fellow clerks are … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor | Comments Off on Today’s Legal Humor Aside

White House Forum on Access to Justice — Livestream at 1 PM Eastern Today, April 19

Posted on April 19, 2016 by richardzorza

Today, at 1 PM, click on the link today to watch the livestream of the White House Forum on Increasing Access to Justice. https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/white-house-forum-increasing-access-justice There is an article in the American Lawyer, which describes the anticipated announcement at this event … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, LSC, White House | Comments Off on White House Forum on Access to Justice — Livestream at 1 PM Eastern Today, April 19

UK Supreme Court Might Be Able to Teach US Court a Lesson on Urgency of Protecting Legal Aid

Posted on April 18, 2016 by richardzorza

Tomorrow, Tuesday the 19th, LSC and its friends will enjoy an invitation-only reception at the US Supreme Court following the LSC day at the White House, and to be addressed by Justice Kennedy, among others.  It is obviously a very … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Discrimination, Immigration, International Models, Legal Aid, LSC, Supreme Court, White House | Comments Off on UK Supreme Court Might Be Able to Teach US Court a Lesson on Urgency of Protecting Legal Aid