Category Archives: Access to Counsel

Thoughts on the Shriver Study

Posted on November 4, 2017 by richardzorza

It is now several months since the California Shriver Pilot Report was issued.  The findings and recommendations concerning benefits of counsel have been widely disseminated. (Report announcement summary here) So, I want to here highlight some of the findings that … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Access to Justice Generally, Court Management, Document Assembly, E-filing, Legal Aid, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on Thoughts on the Shriver Study

More on Judge Posner’s Apostasy

Posted on September 11, 2017 by richardzorza

This from Adam Liptak in the Times on Judge Posner’s resignation speaks for itself (read the whole piece, please). “About six months ago,” Judge Posner said, “I awoke from a slumber of 35 years.” He had suddenly realized, he said, … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Access to Justice Generally, Appellate Practice, Books, Federal Courts, Pro Bono | 1 Comment

Speculative Thoughts on Changing Lawyers in Mid-Case — Manafort Edition

Posted on August 10, 2017 by richardzorza

I want to draw your attention to the some specific language in the Politico story on Paul Manafort’s change of lawyers, quoting a Manafort spokesman (see especially my bold language): A spokesman confirmed the change. “Mr. Manafort is in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Access to Justice Generally, Attorney-Client, Criminal Law, Dept. of Justice, Judicial Ethics, Legal Ethics | Comments Off on Speculative Thoughts on Changing Lawyers in Mid-Case — Manafort Edition

Access to Justice: Why Focus On This Issue In an Era With So Many Existential Crises

Posted on May 12, 2017 by richardzorza

Sometimes we advocates for access to justice quietly admit to each other that with so many other issues threatening our planet, the poor, and our democracy, that it is hard to argue for access to justice a a funding priority. … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Access to Counsel, Communications Strategy | Comments Off on Access to Justice: Why Focus On This Issue In an Era With So Many Existential Crises

Rebranding and Revitalizing the Legal Profession

Posted on February 4, 2017 by richardzorza

Whatever you make think about the Trump administration, one thing is clear, the public is being reminded of the importance of the availability of lawyers.  Maybe also, the profession itself is remembering also how much helping real people with real problems … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Access to Justice Generally, Immigration, Pro Bono | 1 Comment

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

Integrating “Roles Beyond Lawyers” into Court Improvement Strategies

Posted on September 19, 2016 by richardzorza

A recent paper by Colleen F. Shanahan, Anna E. Carpenter and Alyx Mark makes a very important point that, as the abstract puts it: Access to justice interventions that provide a little representation, including nonlawyer representation and various forms of … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Access to Counsel, Court Management, Non-Lawyer Practice, Referral Systems, Research and Evalation, Triage, Unbundling | 2 Comments

Article on Incentives in Access to Justice

Posted on September 12, 2016 by richardzorza

My paper on incentives in access to justice has now been published in the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics.  Here it is. Here is the full text of the abstract: Most of the current deregulation discussion focuses on permitting both … Continue reading →

Posted in ABA, Access to Counsel, Alternative Business Structures, Anti-Trust, Bar Associations, Medical System Comparision, Middle Income, Mixed Model, Non-Lawyer Practice, Outcome Measures, Planning, Political Support, Poverty, Pro Bono, Referral Systems, Research and Evalation, Rules Reform, Self-Help Services, Simplification, Systematic Change, Tax Policy, Technology | Comments Off on Article on Incentives in Access to Justice

Integrating the ABA Futures Report and the Justice For All Components

Posted on August 14, 2016 by richardzorza

Its finally here, the ABA Future of Legal Services Report. As expected, it covers a lot of ground, and is a lot to read. As an aid to speedy integration into other projects, I have prepared this table that compares … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, ABA, Access to Counsel, Access to Justice Generally, Alternative Business Structures, Attorney-Client, Bar Associations, Court Fees and Costs, Court Management, Document Assembly, E-filing, Incnetives, Law Schools, Legal Aid, Legal Ethics, LEP, Mediation, Middle Income, Mixed Model, Non-Lawyer Practice, Outcome Measures, Plain Language, Planning, Referral Systems, Research and Evalation, Rules Reform, Self-Help Services, Simplification, Systematic Change, Technology, Transparency, Triage, Unbundling | 2 Comments

UK Supreme Court Might Be Able to Teach US Court a Lesson on Urgency of Protecting Legal Aid

Posted on April 18, 2016 by richardzorza

Tomorrow, Tuesday the 19th, LSC and its friends will enjoy an invitation-only reception at the US Supreme Court following the LSC day at the White House, and to be addressed by Justice Kennedy, among others.  It is obviously a very … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Discrimination, Immigration, International Models, Legal Aid, LSC, Supreme Court, White House | Comments Off on UK Supreme Court Might Be Able to Teach US Court a Lesson on Urgency of Protecting Legal Aid

The Key to Making “Uber for Lawyers” Work

Posted on April 2, 2016 by richardzorza

A recent blog post by a professor at Albany Law School explores whether an “Uber for Lawyers” would work.  (Longer paper, which includes triage and continuum of services, here). His argument: By offering technology-enabled legal services through an internet- or … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Access to Justice Boards, Funding, Technology, Triage | 2 Comments

ABA Commission Paper on Legal Check-Ups Could Offer Opportunity to Integrate Private Providers Into ATJ Triage Movement

Posted on March 25, 2016 by richardzorza

A few days ago, the ABA Commission on the Future of Legal Services, fresh from a major step forward in getting House of Delegates approval for their Model Regulatory Objectives, issued for comment a draft Issues Paper Concerning Legal Checkups. … Continue reading →

Posted in ABA, Access to Counsel, Attorney-Client, Bar Associations, De-Regulation, Incnetives, Non-Lawyer Practice, Technology, Triage | 2 Comments

Is The ABA Really Willing for the Headline to be “Bar to Public: Drop Dead?”

Posted on February 6, 2016 by richardzorza

The American Lawyer is reporting (limited free link here) very significant opposition within the ABA to the work of the ABA Commission on the Future of Legal Services.  As the article explains: [The Commission’s Resolution 105 merely] asks the ABA … Continue reading →

Posted in ABA, Access to Counsel, Access to Justice Generally, Bar Associations, Legal Ethics, Non-Lawyer Practice | 3 Comments

An Economic Analysis of the “One Hundred Percent Access to Justice” Phrase

Posted on November 30, 2015 by richardzorza

If we are to assess the viability of 100% access to justice solutions, we must at least begin to have an economic model for what 100% access means, and particularly for whether we can regard services as sufficient in any … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Access to Justice Generally, Legal Aid, Self-Help Services, Triage | 6 Comments

Could We Get to 100% Access Without As Many New Resources As We Now Assume, a Very Rough Analysis?

Posted on November 13, 2015 by richardzorza

It’s a truism and an article of faith in the access to justice community that the only way to get to 100% access to justice is a massive infusion of money. It might well be true, but try this mental … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Access to Justice Generally, Budget Issues, Court Management, Legal Aid, Research and Evalation, Rules Reform, Self-Help Services, Simplification, Systematic Change | 5 Comments