Author Archives: richardzorza

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About richardzorza

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

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

Colorado Civil Access Pilot Project Highlights Potential of Simplifcation

Posted on December 3, 2014 by richardzorza

The October E-SJI News includes an article on the report by the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS) on the Colorado Civil Access Pilot. The core idea of the project which is focused on business cases, … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Rules Reform, Simplification | Comments Off on Colorado Civil Access Pilot Project Highlights Potential of Simplifcation

Some Observations on the Newly Updated Justice Index

Posted on November 27, 2014 by richardzorza

The National Center for Access to Justice recently put in place a number of corrections offered by 21 states to the Justice Index, so its time to take a look and see what we learn. The most important point is … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Access to Justice Generally, Forms, Justice Index, Legal Aid, LEP, Plain Language, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on Some Observations on the Newly Updated Justice Index

If Pilots Have to Pass Simulator Tests, Why Not Cops

Posted on November 25, 2014 by richardzorza

There are now probably more people killed by police shootings than die in air crashes each year, and we insist that pilots get all kinds of simulator tests before they get to fly what can be killing machines.  Why not … Continue reading →

Posted in Criminal Law | 2 Comments

NYT Publishes First Article on Comprehensive Changes in Legal Aid (Broadly Defined)

Posted on November 24, 2014 by richardzorza

Showing the huge value and potential of a coherent communications strategy for the legal aid world (broadly defined to include both community-based and court-based legal aid) the New York Times on Saturday published its first real comprehensive article on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Communications Strategy, Legal Aid, LSC, Non-Lawyer Practice, Political Support, Self-Help Services, Systematic Change, Triage | Comments Off on NYT Publishes First Article on Comprehensive Changes in Legal Aid (Broadly Defined)

Michigan Judge Inadvertantly Underlines Need for Changes in Language Access

Posted on November 21, 2014 by richardzorza

In a week during which we have been given another opportunity to reflect upon the benefits of integrating people from all backgrounds into our richly varied country, we are — albeit unintentionally — reminded by a Michigan Judge of how … Continue reading →

Posted in Judicial Ethics, LEP | Comments Off on Michigan Judge Inadvertantly Underlines Need for Changes in Language Access

Proven Value of Timely Texting of Tips Might Extent to the Justice World

Posted on November 16, 2014 by richardzorza

A recent report in the New York Times descried a study that showed that low income children’s reading skills improved very significantly when parents were texted timely reminders about how to help their kids learn: A new study shows that … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Technology | 3 Comments

Part IV of “Assessing Innovations,” The Private Sector Legal Market

Posted on November 10, 2014 by richardzorza

Previous posts in this series have offered cost-benefit, rights-oriented  and “targeted representation” approaches to analyzing whether innovations should be viewed as appropriate.  This post asks the same question about innovations in the private sector market, although with more of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Non-Lawyer Practice, Systematic Change, Triage | 1 Comment

Evaluation of Idaho Informal Custody Trial Raises Interesting Questions

Posted on November 7, 2014 by richardzorza

For several years, Idaho has been experimenting with an “Informal Custody Trial” (ICT).  They have recently released the evaluation, and we have permission to post it on this blog here, Informal Custody Trial Evaluation Report. Big kudos to the state … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Judicial Ethics, Research and Evalation, Systematic Change | Comments Off on Evaluation of Idaho Informal Custody Trial Raises Interesting Questions

Part III of “Assessing Innovations”: Guest Post by Russell Engler on the Targeted Representation Approach

Posted on November 5, 2014 by richardzorza

I am happy to guest post Russell Engler’s helpful and insightful response to Part II of my series on assessing innovations.  Part II focused on a rights-oriented analysis.  Russell writes about what he calls the “targeted representation” approach as follows: … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Systematic Change, Triage | 1 Comment