Author Archives: richardzorza

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About richardzorza

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

Project Gets Pro Bono Award for Website with Full Records of Actual Innocnce Cases

Posted on February 14, 2011 by richardzorza

The law firm of Winston & Strawn recently got the Law Technology News (LTN) Award for the Most Innovative Use of Technology in a Pro Bono Project. for its web project, InnocencRecord.org, which works with the Innocence Project to post … Continue reading →

Posted in Pro Bono, Research and Evalation, Science, Technology | Tagged , | Comments Off on Project Gets Pro Bono Award for Website with Full Records of Actual Innocnce Cases

Whose Fault When Something Goes Wrong — Blaming the User/Litigant is the Road to Stasis

Posted on February 12, 2011 by richardzorza

When something goes wrong, there’s a strong instinct to blame the litigant, the client, the website user.  A recent example is this CNN story on unintended acceleration. (Its written in term of being the drivers fault). An old friend once … Continue reading →

Posted in Research and Evalation, Technology | Comments Off on Whose Fault When Something Goes Wrong — Blaming the User/Litigant is the Road to Stasis

New Mexico Legislative Analysis of Benefits of E-Filing

Posted on February 11, 2011 by richardzorza

There is pending in the New Mexico legislature a proposal that would have the effect of shutting down e-filing. A state legislative analyst concludes in this analysis that a shutdown would have negative financial impacts. Some points made: Courts that … Continue reading →

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LSC TIG Request for Letters of Intent

Posted on February 10, 2011 by richardzorza

The LSC TIG request for Letters of Intent is now out.  The Letters of Intent (LOI) are due Monday March 7, 2011.  This Wed Feb 16 webinar (update — now available here) on the process would be particularly helpful for … Continue reading →

Posted in Document Assembly, Forms, Funding, Law Schools, LEP, Libraries, Mobile Technology, Pro Bono, Self-Help Services, Technology | Tagged , | Comments Off on LSC TIG Request for Letters of Intent

Stabilizing IOLTA Funding — Long Term Strategy

Posted on February 9, 2011 by richardzorza

Bloomberg and others are reporting on administration proposals to reduce the burden on the states of the huge accumulated UI debt to the feds that many states are now carrying. This set me thinking about how one long term strategy … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Funding, IOLTA, Systematic Change | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Outreach Tool for Earned Income Tax Credit Program to Libraries. Why Not More Such Direct Service and Outreach?

Posted on February 8, 2011 by richardzorza

Everyone on this list should know about the Legal Aid Society of Orange County program to help people file for the Earned Income Tax Credit. Total refunds this year already over $72,000,000.  This must be the most cost-effective use of … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally | 1 Comment

Great Partnering — MassLegalHelp and Law Libraries — Ask a Law Librarian

Posted on February 7, 2011 by richardzorza

Thanks to great partnering with MassLegalHelp, Mass folks can get legal information answers from law libraries by online chat during library hours. There are lots of resources on library partnerships in the Public Library folder of selfhelpsupport.org.  This includes ethics … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally | 2 Comments

Idea: Jointly-Sponsored Justice System Efficiency and Accessability Awards

Posted on February 7, 2011 by richardzorza

Here is an idea:  We should establish jointly sponsored awards for innovations that increase both efficiency and accessibility in the justice system. To win an award, you would have to demonstrate that a) the innovation saves money, and b) that … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Systematic Change | Tagged | 1 Comment

LSC to Invite Letters of Intent for TIG Grants This Coming Week of Feb 7 — Likely Due in about a Few Weeks — Some Ideas

Posted on February 5, 2011 by richardzorza

LSC has posted to LS-Tech that it plans to announce its invitation to submit letters of intent (LOI) for TIG Grants this coming week (i.e the week of Feb 7).  Last year the LOI phase was open for four weeks. … Continue reading →

Posted in Document Assembly, Funding, Technology | Comments Off on LSC to Invite Letters of Intent for TIG Grants This Coming Week of Feb 7 — Likely Due in about a Few Weeks — Some Ideas

Model Revised State APA Fails to Recognize Needs of the Self-Represented — ABA Response Being Debated

Posted on February 4, 2011 by richardzorza

Some of you may have been following the somewhat surprising story of the Model Revised State Administrative Procedure Act approved in late 2010 by the Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. That enactment, meant as a model for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Administative Proecdure, Judicial Ethics | Comments Off on Model Revised State APA Fails to Recognize Needs of the Self-Represented — ABA Response Being Debated

SC ATJ Commission Self-Help Center Strategy — Low Cost Pilot and Guidelines

Posted on February 4, 2011 by richardzorza

The SC Access to Justice Commission has announced the approval by the Supreme Court of its soon-to-open pilot self-help center. I’d particularly draw attention to the strategy of having the pilot be a project of the Commission.  This helps bring … Continue reading →

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NYT Highlights Self-Represented in Foreclosures — Also Some Resources

Posted on February 3, 2011 by richardzorza

Front page of business section of today’s NYT:  Foreclosed Homeowners Go to Court on Their Own.  An important article that folks can use to advocate for a wide variety of services and programs.  Read it yourselves, but here are some … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreclosure, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on NYT Highlights Self-Represented in Foreclosures — Also Some Resources

Two Year Law Degree — UK Experiment and Questions for US Legal Education

Posted on February 2, 2011 by richardzorza

Richard Moorhead, in his LawyerWatch blog discusses the new UK two year law degree offered by the College of Law, which was originally founded by the law society (bar association).  Most of the UK discussion seems to be about the … Continue reading →

Posted in Law Schools | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

LSC Board Hears Briefing on Technology and Innovation

Posted on February 1, 2011 by richardzorza

Last Thursday, I was part of a group that briefed the LSC Board on Technology and Innovation at an open briefing prior to its formal meeting later in the week.  Incoming LSC President Jim Sandman was present, as were four … Continue reading →

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Interesting LEP DV and Access to Justice Opportunity

Posted on January 31, 2011 by richardzorza

The Violence Against Women Grants Program has a solicitation out for grants to existing LEP programs. This might, it seems to me, be used to fund programs in which such services were provided in courts and self-help programs. Due date … Continue reading →

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