Category Archives: Access to Justice Boards

Setting Public Goals for Access Commissions: The Massachusetts Model

Posted on May 7, 2012 by richardzorza

Kudos to the Massachusetts ATJ Commission for publicly setting itself objectives that are both concrete and ambitious — and for assigning groups and individuals to be responsible for moving them forward.  I am particularly impressed that goals for working with … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Funding, Judicial Ethics, Legal Aid, Legal Ethics, Self-Help Services, Technology, Transparency | Comments Off on Setting Public Goals for Access Commissions: The Massachusetts Model

More on Public Welfare Foundation Grant to ABA for ATJ Commissions Work

Posted on March 10, 2012 by richardzorza

Here is more information on the new grant to the ABA to support ATJ Commissions. An American Bar Association project has been selected to administer a $270,000 grant to support state panels that promote access to civil justice for low-income … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Funding | Comments Off on More on Public Welfare Foundation Grant to ABA for ATJ Commissions Work

Public Welfare Foundation Grants in Access to Justice

Posted on March 9, 2012 by richardzorza

The Public Welfare Foundation has announced two grants for access to justice.  They are being made under its Special Opportunities Fund.  This is how they are described on the Foundations Website. These companion projects are part of a Special Initiative … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Funding, Self-Help Services | 1 Comment

Collection of SRL Data

Posted on February 29, 2012 by richardzorza

Yet more useful info from the Texas forms process. Here is the summary of national data on SRL distribution gathered by the Texas Access to Justice Commission: Nationwide 2009 survey by Self-Represented Litigation Network 60% judges reported increase in pro … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Research and Evalation, SRL Statistics | 1 Comment

National Forms Availabilty Data and Talking Points

Posted on February 1, 2012 by richardzorza

The Texas Access to Justice Commission, during their advocacy for forms in the face of bar opposition, did a wonderful job of surveying states for their availability of forms.  Here is a spreadsheet showing the results.  Here is a snapshot … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Forms | Tagged | 1 Comment

Massachussets Pioneers Economic Benefit Statement

Posted on January 28, 2012 by richardzorza

The Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (state granting program) has released a 2011 Economic Benefit Statement.  Key language: The work of MLAC-funded legal aid programs substantially boosts the Commonwealth’s economy each year by bringing in tens of millions of federal dollars, … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Budget Issues, Funding, IOLTA | Tagged | 1 Comment

Texas Supreme Court Moves Forward on Forms

Posted on January 25, 2012 by richardzorza

Real leadership from the Texas Supreme Court.  Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson has responded to the State Bar’s position on forms with this letter to the President of the State Bar.  Here is the key language:

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Forms | Tagged | 2 Comments

Texas Reports on 22 State Research Into Impact of Forms

Posted on January 25, 2012 by richardzorza

The Texas forms mess, as so often with such situations, is yielding some useful byproducts. This data, collected by the Texas Access to Justice Commission, and blogged about by Carl Reynolds, the Administrator of the State Administrate Office of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Forms | Tagged , | 1 Comment

For Texas Access Advocates, No Good Deed Goes Appreciated

Posted on January 23, 2012 by richardzorza

Law.com is carrying a remarkable story out of Texas.  Under the heading Draft Forms for Pro Se Divorce Litigants Create Controversy, the site is reporting on the frankly remarkably intense reaction of the Texas Family Bar to plans for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Forms | Tagged | 13 Comments

An Access Strategy for 2012

Posted on January 3, 2012 by richardzorza

Maybe it’s time to sum up an integrated access strategy for 2012. I see four major directions right now: Leverage Turner.  The case offers every state the impetus and opportunity to self-assess the accessibility and due process sufficiency of how … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally | Tagged | 1 Comment

Democratization of Decision-Making — Implications for Access to Justice Institutions

Posted on December 19, 2011 by richardzorza

Tom Friedman in the NY Times, argues that both both companies and counties, the old top down decision-making and leadership systems are obsolete. The main driver, I believe, is the merger of globalization and the Information Technology revolution. Both of … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Court Management, Dept. of Justice, Technology, Transparency | Comments Off on Democratization of Decision-Making — Implications for Access to Justice Institutions

NewsMaker Interview — Rebecca Sandefur on Her ABF Study of Access to Justice And Follow-Up

Posted on November 29, 2011 by richardzorza

Today’s NewsMaker Interview is with Rebecca Sandefur, one of the co-authors of the recent American Bar Foundation study of access to justice.  Becky has changed the whole debate, with a long-overdue collection of data that forces us to confront the … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Metrics, Newsmaker Interview, Research and Evalation | 1 Comment

LSC Budget News — Not Good

Posted on November 15, 2011 by richardzorza

NLDA Legal Aid News sends out the bad news: Last night House and Senate conferees agreed to a spending package that would fund the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) at $348,000,000 for FY 2012.  This figure represents a reduction in overall … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Funding, IOLTA, LSC | 2 Comments

Karen Lash of DOJ Access Initiative Keynote to Rothgerber Conference

Posted on November 9, 2011 by richardzorza

Access beacon and energizer Karen Lash of DOJ gave the keynote last weekend at the wonderful Rothgerber Conference, TOWARD THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT OF ACCESS TO JUSTICE: IMPLICATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION organized by Melissa Hart for the University of Colorado Law School.  The … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Dept. of Justice, Law Schools, Meetings | Tagged | 2 Comments

Implications of Alternative Poverty Measure for Access to Justice

Posted on November 8, 2011 by richardzorza

The Census Bureau has rolled out the results of applying its alternative measure of poverty to 2010.  This alternative measure, which will not be used to calculate benefits, is being offered as an aid to policy makers. The results have … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Mixed Model, Poverty | 1 Comment