Author Archives: richardzorza

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About richardzorza

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

On the Need for Uncompromising Reassertions of Neutral Principles Regardless of Inevitable Political Implications

Posted on January 31, 2017 by richardzorza

There is obviously a lot to cheer about today, as different aspects of our complex, flexible, and therefore very resilient system starts to trigger its anti-fascism-antibodies. One of the most important, in the long term, may be the fact that … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Constitution, International Cooperation, Judicial Ethics, Science | Comments Off on On the Need for Uncompromising Reassertions of Neutral Principles Regardless of Inevitable Political Implications

SRLN Conference Schedule and Early Registration Deadline

Posted on January 26, 2017 by richardzorza

The Tentative Schedule for the SRLN Conference (Feb 23-24) in San Francisco is now available, and early price-reduced registration, link here, closes very soon, on Feb 1.  General registration will remain open after that day. A two-day in-person national conference … Continue reading →

Posted in Meetings | 2 Comments

Karen Lash, LAIR, Transitions and the Future

Posted on January 19, 2017 by richardzorza

Another sad but expected one. As Karen Lash of the DOJ Access to Justice Office announced, with her usual grace and optimism, in an email earlier today: Today is my last day with the U.S. Department of Justice Office for … Continue reading →

Posted in Dept. of Justice, Funding, LAIR, Transitions | Comments Off on Karen Lash, LAIR, Transitions and the Future

Transitions: Access to Justice Office

Posted on January 18, 2017 by richardzorza

Sadly, there are going to be a lot of these in the next few days. This is from an email sent out by Lisa Foster, outgoing Director of the Office for Access to Justice at DOJ.  The good news is … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Dept. of Justice, LAIR, Systematic Change | Comments Off on Transitions: Access to Justice Office

Moving Forward With Federal ATJ Data Collection To Support the Chiefs 100% Access Resolution

Posted on January 18, 2017 by richardzorza

Its a routine thing, best seen as the normal functioning of government, which is coming more and more to recognize the nonpartisan importance of access to justice issues and measures to all government goals, including making the system work for … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Access to Justice Generally, Census Bureau, LAIR, Legal Aid, Metrics, SRL Statistics, Systematic Change, Triage | 1 Comment

Now is the Time to Preserve the History of Government (and More) on the Internet –The WayBack Machine

Posted on January 18, 2017 by richardzorza

Very few people know about the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine.  It is an amazing tool, which lets you look at the history of websites, that is to say how they have looked over time. Here, picking an example totally at … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumer Rights, Dept. of Justice, Evidence, Freedom of Expression, Technology, Tools | Comments Off on Now is the Time to Preserve the History of Government (and More) on the Internet –The WayBack Machine

Legal Aid HackathonShows the Coming Change in Access to Justice Culture is Enormous

Posted on January 14, 2017 by richardzorza

I love it. Before the TIG conference, there was a legal aid Hackathon.  Here is the presentation that summarized it.  Astonishing. This slide is my own favorite, and self-explanatory. Other projects included a write clearly tool, a legal check-up tool, … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Legal Aid, LSC, SRL Statistics, Technology | 2 Comments

A Challenge: How Do We Even Out The Rates of Media Outreach Capacity for Access to Justice at the National and States Level?

Posted on January 14, 2017 by richardzorza

Voices for Civil Justice, funded by the Public Welfare Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, and others, and headed by Martha Bergmark, has done amazing work in terms of getting the access to justice messave out at the national level. They have … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Communications Strategy, Legal Aid | 1 Comment

Algorithms and Checklists May Help Deal With Implicit Bias

Posted on January 12, 2017 by richardzorza

While I am an advocate of algorithm driven processes in law, I still have a slightly queasy feeling about the whole idea.  It comes from the fear that outcomes are not going to be “far,” but are going to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Criminal Law, De-Regulation, Domestic Violence, Evictions, Legal Aid, Medical System Comparision, Non-Lawyer Practice, Outcome Measures, Science, Simplification, Systematic Change, Tools, Triage | Comments Off on Algorithms and Checklists May Help Deal With Implicit Bias

Dean Minnow’s Retirement From Harvard Law Deanship Reminds Us of Law Schools Importance to and Potential For Access to Justice

Posted on January 3, 2017 by richardzorza

In a time of many transitions, we must note the news, sad for access to justice, that Dean Martha Minnow will be retiring, after eight years of very significant achievement, from the deanship of Harvard Law School. I suspect that … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Access to Justice Generally, Incubators, International Cooperation, International Models, Non-Lawyer Practice, Outcome Measures, Personal, Simplification, Systematic Change, Transitions | Comments Off on Dean Minnow’s Retirement From Harvard Law Deanship Reminds Us of Law Schools Importance to and Potential For Access to Justice

Official Report on Russian Hacking Recommends Actions by Organizations

Posted on December 29, 2016 by richardzorza

In order to understand what is happening in the world, everyone should look at the new DHS/FBI Report on the Russian hacking.  It is here.  This para introduces the chilling facts: This Joint Analysis Report (JAR) is the result of … Continue reading →

Posted in Dept. of Justice, Security | Comments Off on Official Report on Russian Hacking Recommends Actions by Organizations

The New HHS Child Support Regs Will Increase Child Support Payments and Strengthen the Argument for Expanded Self-Help Services

Posted on December 21, 2016 by richardzorza

There is additional good news in the new HHS Child Support regs, which are to be effective Jan 19, 2017 (analysis and link to full text of regs here).  They will increase payments to custodial parents, and they also strengthen … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Debt Collction, Document Assembly, Family Law, Federal Agencies, Forms, Funding, Non-Lawyer Practice, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on The New HHS Child Support Regs Will Increase Child Support Payments and Strengthen the Argument for Expanded Self-Help Services

New HHS Rules Effective Jan 19, 2017 Include Very Good News About the Scope of Federal Reimbursement for Paternity and Child Support Establishment Expenditures For Self Help and Educational Services

Posted on December 20, 2016 by richardzorza

As I hope most of you know, two thirds of eligible state costs incurred for the establishment and enforcement of child support obligations are reimbursable by HHS.  There is no cap on the total amount, but expenditures must be pursuant … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Support, Court Management, Funding, Self-Help Services, SRLN, Technology | 1 Comment

Final Rule Facilitating Non-Lawyer Practice in Immigration System, Taking Effect Jan 18, Reminds of the Relevance of This Approach in Access Reform

Posted on December 19, 2016 by richardzorza

Time  passes.  On Jan 18, the rules changes governing non-lawyer practice in the immigration system — which in this way, although surely not others, could be a model for other forums, take effect.  As explained in the Notice in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Immigration, Non-Lawyer Practice | 2 Comments

Principles for Legitimacy In Questioned Elections

Posted on December 19, 2016 by richardzorza

Given the extreme importance for access to justice that even highly inflammatory issues are decided on a neutral and principled basis, I cross post my recent blog that discusses Legitimacy.  The Principles are intended to be non-partisan and universal. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Congress, Constitution, Judicial Ethics | 1 Comment