Author Archives: richardzorza

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About richardzorza

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

Professor in Nederlands On Strategies for Access Change

Posted on June 17, 2013 by richardzorza

I am just back from the International Legal Aid Group meeting in the Nederlands.  While I plan to share several ideas from the meeting, I want to start with some overall strategic thoughts from Prof. Maurits Barendrecht of HiiL/Tilburg University. … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Funding, Legal Aid, Simplification, Systematic Change | 2 Comments

Mass ATJ Commission Proposes Adding Access Issues to Bar Exam

Posted on June 13, 2013 by richardzorza

This is a great idea, and also an illustration of how Commissions can push the envelope. The Massachusetts Commission has proposed to the state Board of Bar Examiners that access to justice issues be added to the bar exam.  Memo … Continue reading →

Posted in Law Schools, Legal Ethics | Tagged , | 1 Comment

My Simplification Paper Now Out

Posted on June 12, 2013 by richardzorza

Just posted — my Drake Law Review paper on simplification: Some First Thoughts on Court Simplification: The Key to Civil Access and Justice Transformation. Here is the abstract: Given the discrepancy between access to justice needs and the resources that … Continue reading →

Posted in Simplification, Systematic Change | 9 Comments

World Bank Meeting on Legal Aid/Access to Justice in Mediterranean Rim Countries

Posted on June 5, 2013 by richardzorza

I was privileged to be at a meeting organized by the World Bank and the Center for Mediterranean Integration on legal aid and access to justice in Mediterranean Rim countries in Marseilles.  (I know, a tough job.)  It is, sadly, … Continue reading →

Posted in International Cooperation, International Models | 1 Comment

Comment on English Legal Aid Cut Proposals Highlights Value of Client Choice

Posted on June 3, 2013 by richardzorza

As most know, the England/Wales legal aid system is going through a major set of cuts, with the government “consultation” proposing a variety of major policy changes to reduce the overall cost of the system.  Richard Moorhead, a highly reflective … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, International Models | 1 Comment

Interesting Article on Ideas to Change Ethics Rules to Facilitate Pro Bono

Posted on June 1, 2013 by richardzorza

Esther Lardent of the Pro Bono Institute has an interesting article in the National Law Journal on how current ethics rules inhibit pro bono.  Lots of good ideas for change here. Limits in multi-jurisdictional practice get in the way of … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Ethics, Pro Bono | Comments Off on Interesting Article on Ideas to Change Ethics Rules to Facilitate Pro Bono

The Access to Justice Vision Was Articulated Almost 50 Years Ago By Attorneys General Kennedy and Katzenbach.

Posted on May 28, 2013 by richardzorza

As we celebrate that we have an Access to Justice Initiative at DOJ, we should remember that almost 50 years ago the access vision was articulated by two US Attorneys General – and that it was a comprehensive vision remarkably … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Dept. of Justice | 6 Comments

California Courts Reaffirm Committement to Self-Help

Posted on May 27, 2013 by richardzorza

After a period of general uncertainty in the California courts, driven by budget pressures, it is great to see that the Judicial Council has reaffirmed the importance of self-help, as viewed throughout the system.  On May 17, the Council issued … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, Self-Help Services | Tagged | Comments Off on California Courts Reaffirm Committement to Self-Help

Canadian SRL Project Sponsors Dialog Event — A Model for Us all

Posted on May 22, 2013 by richardzorza

What a great idea. As Julie MacFarlane blogs about the follow up to her Canadian SRL Report: 60 people gathered in Windsor to discuss the research report – 15 of them SRL’s from the study. The other 45 guests included … Continue reading →

Posted in International Models, Research and Evalation, Self-Help Services | Tagged | 1 Comment

Important New Canadian Report Highlights Challenges Facing the Self-Represented and Innovation and Research Lessons for the US

Posted on May 21, 2013 by richardzorza

An important new report, The National Self-Represented Litigants Project: Identifying and Meeting the Needs of Self-Represented Litigants, by Dr. Julie MacFarlane, supported by grants from the Law Foundation of Ontario, the Law Foundation of Alberta, and the Law Foundation of … Continue reading →

Posted in International Models, Research and Evalation, Self-Help Services | Tagged | 6 Comments

David Udell Blogs on New Jerseys Consideration of Bar Admission Pro Bono Requirment

Posted on May 17, 2013 by richardzorza

David Udell, director of the National Center for Access to Justice has an excellent summary on his blog, here, of the NJ proposal for a bar admission pro bono requirement. Among the differences from NY are limitation to programs and … Continue reading →

Posted in Law Schools, Pro Bono | Tagged | 1 Comment

Guest Blogger Magistrate Simon Mole on How Colorado’s Early Experiments with Proactive Case Processing are Fascinating from an ATJ Perspective

Posted on May 14, 2013 by richardzorza

John Greacen and Pamela Gagel have reported here on using court-convened initial status conferences for managing domestic relations cases. The status conferences enabled triage and the shepherding of pro se litigants via differential case management.  Greacen and Gagel give subtle … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Court Management, Guest Bloggers | 1 Comment

National Center for State Courts Strategic Campaign Prioritizes Access to Justice and Sets Rules Simplification as Objective

Posted on May 12, 2013 by richardzorza

This is great news. The National Center for State Courts Board has just approved its Strategic Campaign for 2013-2016, and, under the title Solutions for Enhancing Access to Justice for All, it includes as one of its four key elements … Continue reading →

Posted in Rules Reform, Simplification, Systematic Change | 1 Comment

Time for An Overall Evaluation of the ATJ Commission Network?

Posted on May 9, 2013 by richardzorza

Its now 20 years since Washington State launched the first Access to Justice Commission (actually they called it a Board). The Commissions Network now covers over half the states, continues to expand, and is recognized as at the core of … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Research and Evalation | 3 Comments

Towards a New Accss-Friendly Rules Project

Posted on May 9, 2013 by richardzorza

Here is a potentially transformative idea that I raised at the recent Symposium at Harvard Law School on Civil Gideon. Maybe it is time to rethink the Federal Rules Project. Back when the Federal Rules were first being put in … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Court Management, Simplification | 1 Comment