Category Archives: Access to Justice Boards

Good Idea for Using Best Practices Materials

Posted on October 11, 2011 by richardzorza

I have recently heard of a fine use of the Self-Represented Litigation Network’s Best Practices Document. The Texas Access to Justice Commission is using the document as the basis of an access innovation kit for Texas. They are going through … Continue reading →

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New York Continues Hearing Process for Access Funding — Lessons for Us All

Posted on September 28, 2011 by richardzorza

As you know, this blog has previously drawn attention to the unusual  success of New York Chief Justice Jonathan Lippman in increasing access to civil legal services.  His approach, described in detail in our NewsMaker Interview, is to have groups … Continue reading →

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

Brilliant Idea — Sonoma County Court Strategic Plan Highlights Litigant Assistance Network and Triage

Posted on August 31, 2011 by richardzorza

With funding from SJI, Sonoma Court, California has completed an excellent Strategic Planning Document. While it includes many valuable ideas, and is focused at least initially somewhat on the huge challenges of providing culturally competent services, I particularly want to … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Funding, Legal Aid, LEP, Self-Help Services, Systematic Change, Triage | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Great New Jane Austen “Quote” in Article on Vermont Access Coalition Activities

Posted on July 19, 2011 by richardzorza

Justice Denise Johnson sits on the Vermont Supreme Court and Chairs the state Access to Justice Coalition. She has written a fine article in the Vermont Bar Journal, about that Coalition’s admirable and comprehensive activities.  Well worth a read for … Continue reading →

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Montana Supreme Court Commission On Self-Represented Litigants Wins Case on Use of Its Copyrighted Forms

Posted on June 30, 2011 by richardzorza

It’s a default judgment, but significant nonetheless. The Montana Supreme Court Commission On Self-Represented Litigants won a case about improper use of its forms by a commercial organization called “Legal Aid Administration, LLC”, (described in the complaint as a “limited … Continue reading →

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FLASH — Tribe Replacment Sworn In at DOJ — Mark Childress, Previously Acting General Counsel at HHS — Highly Experienced in DC and Knows How to Get Things Done

Posted on June 3, 2011 by richardzorza

Main Justice has broken the story of Larry Tribe’s replacement. He is Mark Childress, who has a long bio as an expert in the getting things done in the various parts of the DC system. Most recently, he has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Dept. of Justice | 1 Comment

Access to Justice Commissions Gathering Keynotes: CJ Lippman and Justice Zelon on Legal Aid Funding and Court Transformation

Posted on June 2, 2011 by richardzorza

Here are some of the highlights from the presentations of Chief Judge Lippman of New York, and Associate Justice Laurie Zelon of the California Court of Appeal to the gathering at the Equal Justice Conference of Access to Justice Commissions … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Funding, Systematic Change | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Taking Advdantage of the Moment of Opportunity — An Institutional Strategy for Access

Posted on May 23, 2011 by richardzorza

As I indicated in a recent prior post about the EJC, this is a moment of great opportunity for the access to justice community, but one that is occurring in a complex larger environment.  The complexity of the environment may … Continue reading →

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Wayne Moore Part Two: Roles of ATJ Commissions, Pro Bono, LSC etc., and A Ten Year Vision

Posted on April 28, 2011 by richardzorza

This is Part Two of our NewsMaker Interview with Wayne Moore, author of Delivering Legal Services to Low-Income People.  Part One, here, included discussion of what Wayne has learned about how a system should be built, what components it should … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Forms, IOLTA, Legal Aid, LSC, Metrics, Newsmaker Interview, Pro Bono, Research and Evalation, Self-Help Services, Technology, Unbundling | 2 Comments

Wayne Moore Discusses His Comprehensive Vision for Legal Aid Programs — Part One of Our NewsMaker Interview

Posted on April 25, 2011 by richardzorza

Wayne Moore has been an access to justice leader for almost 30 years.  Two of his greatest achievements have been helping to conceptualize and operationalize the hotline and pro bono movements.  He has now drawn upon his long experience to … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, IOLTA, Legal Aid, LSC, Metrics, Newsmaker Interview, Technology | 4 Comments

British Columbia: Chief Judge says Lower Legal Rates or Give Up Monopoly; Legal Aid Commission Report Makes Innovative Suggestions

Posted on April 10, 2011 by richardzorza

As reported in the Vancouver Sun the Chief Judge of the British Columbia Court of Appeals: “has suggested lawyers either significantly lower their fees — now averaging about $340 an hour — or agree to give up their monopolistic hold … Continue reading →

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Texas Supreme Court Establishes Forms Process

Posted on March 28, 2011 by richardzorza

Texas takes a step that other states without standardized forms might well consider. The Supreme Court has, by Order online here, established a Task Force to work on “forms for statewide use.” The stated reason: The Court is concerned about … Continue reading →

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Maryland Access to Justice Commission Civil Right to Counsel Implementation Analysis includes Mixed Model and Cost Estimate

Posted on January 18, 2011 by richardzorza

Good for the Maryland Access to Justice Commission! Their very interesting and innovative Implementing a Civil Right to Counsel in Maryland has several important features worthy of emulation. First, it proposes a “mixed model,” which means that services would be … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Funding, Middle Income | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Maryland Access to Justice Commission Civil Right to Counsel Implementation Analysis includes Mixed Model and Cost Estimate

West Virginia Outlaws Court Document Ghostwriting Unless Name of Lawyer Disclosed — ATJ Board Objects

Posted on December 13, 2010 by richardzorza

In what is probably an exception to the general direction, the West Virginia State Bar Lawyer Disciplinary Board has issued an opinion outlawing ghostwriting in documents that are to be filed in court, unless the name of the helping lawyer … Continue reading →

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