Author Archives: richardzorza

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About richardzorza

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

Free Technical Assisance and Travel Grants Available From NCSC Public Welfare Foundation Grant

Posted on January 23, 2014 by richardzorza

Here is a timely reminder.  There is still money available in the access to justice court technical assistance and travel pool established at the National Center for State Courts by a grant from the Public Welfare Foundation.  But any grant … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Funding, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on Free Technical Assisance and Travel Grants Available From NCSC Public Welfare Foundation Grant

New Innovation Platform and Tribute to TIG in Apppropriation to LSC for Pro Bono

Posted on January 23, 2014 by richardzorza

Here is another tipping point. The 2014 Omnibus Budget includes a special $2.5 million line for LSC, a Pro Bono Innovation Fund.  (http://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20140113/CPRT-113-HPRT-RU00-h3547-hamdt2samdt_xml.pdf at p.143).  It is nice that the final number is actually the higher House number — see … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, LSC, Pro Bono, Unbundling | Comments Off on New Innovation Platform and Tribute to TIG in Apppropriation to LSC for Pro Bono

Planning for the Professional, Client, Technology Triangle

Posted on January 18, 2014 by richardzorza

Two recent different news stories point out our need to think more about what we can do to optimize the triage between professional, client and technology.  As technology enters the medical consulting room and the legal advocates interview room, there … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, Transparency | 2 Comments

Webinar on Judicial Education for Self-Represented Cases

Posted on January 9, 2014 by richardzorza

On Thursday Jan 16th, at 2 PM Eastern, there will be a webinar on judicial education on self-represented cases. The registration/login is here. As described by NCSC Center on Court Access to Justice for All (I am a consultant and … Continue reading →

Posted in Judicial Ethics | Comments Off on Webinar on Judicial Education for Self-Represented Cases

E-Filling Best Practices Document Available — Please Help with the Evaluation

Posted on January 8, 2014 by richardzorza

Central Minnesota Legal Services has now formally announced the completion of the Principles and Best Practices For Access-Friendly Court Electronic Filing.  As the Press Release says: Central Minnesota Legal Services (CMLS), Pro Bono Net and Legal Services Corporation (LSC) recently released … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally | Comments Off on E-Filling Best Practices Document Available — Please Help with the Evaluation

Poor Suffer From Bad Websites — What Is To Be Done?

Posted on January 7, 2014 by richardzorza

One good side effect of the health care web site story is that it is bringing attention to the broader and longer term problem of the costs inflicted on the less fortunate by bad government technology.  The New York Times … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Administative Proecdure, IOLTA, Legal Aid, LSC, Software Developers, Technology | 1 Comment

“Gideon Voucher” Experiment Offers Client Choice

Posted on January 5, 2014 by richardzorza

Adam Liptak has a fascinating piece in today’s New York Times that includes discussion of an experimental “Gideon Voucher” system to be tried in Comal County, Tex with funding from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission. The article contrasts it to … Continue reading →

Posted in Defender Programs, Funding, Mixed Model, Public Defender, Systematic Change | 1 Comment

Access to Justice Technology Gets Recognition — a Springboard for the Future

Posted on January 3, 2014 by richardzorza

Robert Ambrogi publishes an award winning blog that tracks inriguing law sites for the legal profession.  On Monday he posted his listing of the The 10 Most Important Legal Technology Developments of 2013. Guess what?  One of those listed is … Continue reading →

Posted in LSC, Technology | 1 Comment

Some Thoughts on the LSC Technology Summit Report

Posted on January 2, 2014 by richardzorza

LSC has now formally released its Technology Summit Report.  While I have previously blogged on the careful and inclusive process here, and here and here and here and here, I thought it would be most useful to make general comments … Continue reading →

Posted in LSC, Systematic Change, Technology | 2 Comments

Alan Turing Receives Royal (UK) Pardon

Posted on December 24, 2013 by richardzorza

Several of my readers have pointed out that Alan Turing has just received a pardon of his conviction for “gross indecency,” a conviction that is generally regarded to have led to his death by apparent suicide.  I blogged about Turing’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | 2 Comments

“The Doctor Will See All 8 of You Now” — But What About the Lawyer?

Posted on December 24, 2013 by richardzorza

A recent fascinating New York Times article and blog discusses experiments in which doctors provide group rather than individual consultations to pregnant women. The goal, other than efficiency, is to help create supportive communities. Group visits are useful for any … Continue reading →

Posted in Attorney-Client, Medical System Comparision, Systematic Change | 4 Comments

The Story of “Call for Justice” — Leveraging Online Legal Information, the 211 System and Beyond

Posted on December 15, 2013 by richardzorza

A few months ago, I was particularly excited to hear about a Minnesota initiative that leveraged the power of 211 systems with the legal help resources developed by that state’s access community to achieve a huge increase in usage of … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Self-Help Services, Systematic Change, Technology | 2 Comments

Jeanne Charn to Receive 2014 AALS William Pincus Award Reflecting Decades of Acheivement and Contribution

Posted on December 11, 2013 by richardzorza

Jeanne, in my opinion, is long overdue for this award.  I asked her colleagues Luz Herrera and Jeff Selbin to draft this blog and am proud to share it.  I add that I think this is a particularly appropriate time … Continue reading →

Posted in Incubators, Law Schools | Comments Off on Jeanne Charn to Receive 2014 AALS William Pincus Award Reflecting Decades of Acheivement and Contribution

Claudia Johnson on NLADA

Posted on December 3, 2013 by richardzorza

I (Claudia) went to my 13th or 14th NLADA this year, excited to go to Los Angeles. Yelp—showed many local places of interest-and top of my list was visiting the LA public library after workshop hours (of course!)—they are open … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Aid, LEP, Meetings, Technology | 3 Comments

Judge Kevin Burke to Present Important Webinar on Procedural Fairness

Posted on December 3, 2013 by richardzorza

As you know, much of our work on access, including particularly our judicial ethics work, is predicated on the research into public perceptions of procedural fairness.  Judge Burke has long been a leader in analyzing and presenting the implications of … Continue reading →

Posted in Judicial Ethics | 3 Comments