Author Archives: richardzorza

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About richardzorza

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

LSC Releases RFP for Portal Project

Posted on November 23, 2016 by richardzorza

This may be a historic month for 100% access to justice. LSC has now released the RFP, with proposals due Jan 19, for the portal project.  After some extracts, I offer below some thoughts that may be helpful. I think … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Bar Associations, Funding, Litigant Voice, Medical System Comparision, Metrics, Planning, Remote Services, Research and Evalation, Technology, Triage | 3 Comments

Fact Checking Software and The Justice System

Posted on November 18, 2016 by richardzorza

This story about Google investing in online fact checking software did not get much attention in the US.  But, as reported in the Independent, it could be a big deal: UK fact checking organisation, FullFact, has announced it has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Evidence | Comments Off on Fact Checking Software and The Justice System

More on ATJ Mapping

Posted on November 18, 2016 by richardzorza

Things continue to move on the use of GIS and mapping to promote access to justice. It may be particularly important right now, because GIS helps us understand the context of the challenges faced by different populations in times of … Continue reading →

Posted in Mapping/GIS | Comments Off on More on ATJ Mapping

Next Wed Celebrate GIS Day with an SRLN Map Webinar

Posted on November 11, 2016 by richardzorza

As announced by SRLN, on Wed at 1 PM, Eastern: In coordination with GIS Day and National Geographic’s Geography Awareness Week, the Self-Represented Litigation Network (srln.org)  is hosting a webinar on some of the ways geographic information systems (GIS) technology … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Census Bureau, Mapping/GIS, Metrics, SRL Statistics, SRLN | Comments Off on Next Wed Celebrate GIS Day with an SRLN Map Webinar

Justice for All Grants Show Bipartisan Momentum on Access to Justice and Listening to the Voice of the People

Posted on November 10, 2016 by richardzorza

Today sees the announcement of the awards in the Justice for All project. As the announcement issued by NCSC and the Public Welfare Foundation put it: “Given the large number of people who are struggling economically, the increase of self-represented … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Funding | 2 Comments

A Collection of Prior Posts on My Politics Blog Relevant to Now

Posted on November 9, 2016 by richardzorza

On my politics blog, I have a category that has focused on the possible implication of a Trump victory. Here is the link to the category, for those who might care to take a look at it. https://zorzapolitics.net/category/the-day-after/ I would … Continue reading →

Posted in This Blog, Vocation | Comments Off on A Collection of Prior Posts on My Politics Blog Relevant to Now

Thoughts For Those At Personal and Family Risk

Posted on November 8, 2016 by richardzorza

There will be time and time enough to understand how this has happened. But first, let us find the ways to be supportive at the personal and group level of people who are now to be put at risk through … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Discrimination, Immigration, White House | 1 Comment

NYT Article on “Why Isn’t There a Landlord Blacklist?” Raises a More General Question

Posted on November 5, 2016 by richardzorza

That question is asked in a September piece by Ronda Kaysen in the Times Real Estate Section. The author points out the data about tenant available to landlords, including from databases of eviction cases culled from court records. Renting an … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Consumer Rights, Evictions, Federal Agencies, Federal Courts, Housing, Media | 1 Comment

DOJ and FTC Weigh In on Exempting Websites from the Practice of Law

Posted on November 4, 2016 by richardzorza

On June 16 of this year, North Carolina passed a law creating a limited carve-out from the definition of the practice of law for websites that met certain requirements.  The bill is here.  There has been robust critique of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Business Structures, Anti-Trust, Bar Associations, De-Regulation, Dept. of Justice, Document Assembly, Federal Agencies, Forms, Non-Lawyer Practice, Plain Language, Rules Reform, Technology | Comments Off on DOJ and FTC Weigh In on Exempting Websites from the Practice of Law

Important Research on Benefits of Plain Language Court Orders And Translation

Posted on November 4, 2016 by richardzorza

This research, funded under the LSC TIG program through a grant to TRLA, conducted in Austin, Texas, by NPC Research on the impact of plain language and translated court documents could be very helpful indeed. (Disclosure: I have been involved … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Forms, LEP, LSC, Outcome Measures, Plain Language, Self-Help Services, Technology | 2 Comments

Launching of National Center For Access To Justice Highlights Criminal/Civil Overlap and Opportunities

Posted on November 3, 2016 by richardzorza

The recent launch of the National Center for Access to Justice at Fordham Law School is a good illustration of the progress we are making in getting beyond the traditional and incomprehensible “wall,” between civil and criminal ATJ issues.  Those … Continue reading →

Posted in Chasm with Communities, Criminal Law, Defender Programs, Dept. of Justice, Legal Aid, LSC | 1 Comment

True Neutrality in a Time of Existential Crisis

Posted on October 30, 2016 by richardzorza

What is rapidly becoming not a national existential crisis, but a world existential crisis forces us to examine not the limits of neutrality, but the obligations of neutrality. The United States is enriched by enormous numbers of organizations that are … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Constitution, Federal Courts, Judicial Ethics | 2 Comments

Tim Kaine Calls for New Approach to Poverty — Legal Aid Implications

Posted on October 30, 2016 by richardzorza

Remember his wife is a former legal aid lawyer and a former judge.  According to the Detroit Free Press, in speech on Oct 16, Kaine: .  .  .  outlined the campaign’s three-pillar attack on poverty, including: Raising incomes for families, … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Discrimination, Evictions, Foreclosure, Funding, Housing, Legal Aid, LSC, White House | Comments Off on Tim Kaine Calls for New Approach to Poverty — Legal Aid Implications

Thinking About Access to Justice and The Coming Transition

Posted on October 23, 2016 by richardzorza

Given that Karl Rove has effectively conceded the election, its surely time to start thinking about opportunities for access to justice in the transition. Obviously, this is going to be very different from the last transition eight years ago.  It … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Access to Justice Generally, Administative Proecdure, Defender Programs, Dept. of Justice, Federal Agencies, Funding, LAIR, Legal Aid, LSC, Mixed Model, Non-Lawyer Practice | Comments Off on Thinking About Access to Justice and The Coming Transition

Immigration Judges Learn to Recognze and Protect Against Implicit Bias

Posted on October 4, 2016 by richardzorza

The NYT has an important piece today on judges and implicit bias. Now, as the country struggles with how these instinctive judgments shape our lives, the Justice Department is trying to minimize the role of bias in law enforcement and … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Communications Strategy, Immigration, Judicial Ethics, SRLN | Comments Off on Immigration Judges Learn to Recognze and Protect Against Implicit Bias