Author Archives: richardzorza

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About richardzorza

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

Bi-Partisan Support for Senencing Reform and Re-Entry Programs

Posted on August 13, 2011 by richardzorza

The ACLU as a nice report out, highlighting how even the more conservative states are embracing sentencing reform as a way of saving money on incarceration.  It highlights reforms in Texas, Mississippi, Kansas, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Ohio. The NYT … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget Issues, Criminal Law | Tagged | Comments Off on Bi-Partisan Support for Senencing Reform and Re-Entry Programs

LSC Improves Data Gathering

Posted on August 12, 2011 by richardzorza

In a move that should enhance its ability to make the case for the effectiveness and impact of its funding, LSC has announced several changes to its grantee reporting.  The highlights: Grantees will be required to report total numbers of … Continue reading →

Posted in LSC, Pro Bono, Research and Evalation, Technology | Tagged | 2 Comments

Order in LegalZoom Case

Posted on August 10, 2011 by richardzorza

See August 23, 2011, update at end of post for links to reports of proposed settlement in this case The District Court has issued an order in the Missouri LegalZoom Case. Bottom line:  The District Court rejects LegalZoom’s Motion for … Continue reading →

Posted in Document Assembly, Forms, Technology | Tagged | 2 Comments

Updates on ABA Langauge Access Standards — No Action by ABA

Posted on August 9, 2011 by richardzorza

A somewhat complicated picture is emerging about the progress of the ABA language Access Standards.  The bottom line is the ABA House of Delegates has postponed consideration of the Standards to the February 2012 meeting, following a resolution from the … Continue reading →

Posted in LEP | 1 Comment

A New One — Talk to Computer/Phone by Bending it — A Tool for Preventive Law

Posted on August 5, 2011 by richardzorza

This video is cute. We’ve heard of bendable, and rollable screens, phones and computers.  This is actually something different and goes beyond it. It’s the idea that you communicate with the screen/phone/computer by bending it.  I guess this has 3-D … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Comments Off on A New One — Talk to Computer/Phone by Bending it — A Tool for Preventive Law

DOJ Posts List of Funding Resorces for Court LEP Improvements

Posted on August 3, 2011 by richardzorza

With the ABA proposed Language Access Standards coming up for ABA approval, it may be worth noting that DOJ has posted a listing of possible funding resources for courts as they move to address LEP issues. The listing is here. … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget Issues, Dept. of Justice, Funding, LEP | Comments Off on DOJ Posts List of Funding Resorces for Court LEP Improvements

Important New Report/Compilation on Self-Representation Resources in the States from John Greacen and Michigan State Bar Foundation

Posted on August 2, 2011 by richardzorza

We have long needed a compilation of what the states have in place to assist the self-represented, and the Michigan State Bar Foundation recently contracted with John Greacen of Greacen Associates to prepare such a document to assist the state … Continue reading →

Posted in Document Assembly, Forms, Judicial Ethics, Self-Help Services, Technology | Comments Off on Important New Report/Compilation on Self-Representation Resources in the States from John Greacen and Michigan State Bar Foundation

Public Defender Versus Assigned Counsel, Implications for Mixed Model Advocacy

Posted on August 1, 2011 by richardzorza

Thomas Cohen, at the NIJ Bureau of Justice Statistics, has published an interesting study on who is most effective at criminal defense. Bottom line, from the abstract: Specifically, this paper examines whether there are differences between defense counsel type and … Continue reading →

Posted in Criminal Law, Metrics, Mixed Model, Research and Evalation, Systematic Change | 1 Comment

Unauthorized Practice of Law Issues and the “Not Malpractice” Test

Posted on July 31, 2011 by richardzorza

The Forbes blog has an interesting post collecting a number of recent developments in UPL.  It includes a Missouri lawyers’ class action against Legal Zoom, and cases from Kentucky and Ohio.  The post takes a generally anti-regulatory tone, with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Document Assembly, Legal Ethics | Tagged | 4 Comments

NCSC Issues Compilation of Re-Engineering Ideas

Posted on July 29, 2011 by richardzorza

The National Center for State Courts has issued an eleven page complication of ideas for re-engineering. Lots of good stuff.  Here is the summary chart:

Posted in Document Assembly, Forms, Systematic Change, Technology, Triage | Comments Off on NCSC Issues Compilation of Re-Engineering Ideas

Foundations for Effectve Innovation in the Justice System

Posted on July 29, 2011 by richardzorza

All of us interested in innovation (and I hope that means all of us) should find this paper both interesting and a useful tool to challenge our institutions to lay the foundations for enhanced innovations. Maurits Barendrecht, at Tilburg University … Continue reading →

Posted in Research and Evalation, Systematic Change | Comments Off on Foundations for Effectve Innovation in the Justice System

LSC Releases 2010 Annual Report — Emphasises New Leadership and Collaborations

Posted on July 25, 2011 by richardzorza

The new LSC report for 2010 is here. Note the following: From Jim Sandman’s President’s message, the emphasis on innovation and collaboration (page 3) My goals as LSC President are to increase funding for civil legal services; to maximize the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Aid, LSC, Technology | Tagged | Comments Off on LSC Releases 2010 Annual Report — Emphasises New Leadership and Collaborations

Legal Services at the Mall — the UK Model

Posted on July 25, 2011 by richardzorza

As you probably know in a general way, the UK is deregulating certain aspects of the legal profession. But you may not know how fast things are changing.  Here is one big consequence reported on the Legal Futures Blog.  The … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Ethics, Middle Income, Systematic Change | Tagged | 4 Comments

First Reports of Survey of Federal Court Self-Represented Litigation Services

Posted on July 22, 2011 by richardzorza

As the Federal Court blog puts it: “The Judicial Conference Committee on Court Administration and Case Management (CACM) asked the Federal Judicial Center (FJC) to survey chief district judges and clerks of court on the assistance their district courts provide … Continue reading →

Posted in Federal Courts, Pro Bono, Self-Help Services, Unbundling | Comments Off on First Reports of Survey of Federal Court Self-Represented Litigation Services

E-Filing Assistance for the Self-Represented: Seattle Law Library Shows the Way

Posted on July 21, 2011 by richardzorza

One day we will have integrated customer friendly e-filing linked to document assembly software on the one end, and court case management software on the other. Till then, kudos to those self-help oriented programs that are trying to make access … Continue reading →

Posted in Forms, Libraries, Technology | Tagged | 2 Comments