Category Archives: Access to Justice Generally

Guest Post From Claudia Johnson On Washington ATJ Plan Including Racial Equity

Posted on October 15, 2017 by richardzorza

Claudia writes: (Sorry for the Richard Zorza delay here in publishing.) The Access to Justice Board of WA State just adopted a new State plan for the Delivery of Legal Services for the 2018 to 2020 working period. It is is an … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally | Comments Off on Guest Post From Claudia Johnson On Washington ATJ Plan Including Racial Equity

Seventh Circuit’s Response to Judge Posner Misses the Point

Posted on September 16, 2017 by richardzorza

The Seven Circuit, through Judge Wood, has responded to Judge Posner’s criticism of the Court’s approach to those without lawyers as follows: First, while [Judge Posner] is certainly entitled to his own views about such matters as our Staff Attorney’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Appellate Practice, Defender Programs, Federal Courts, Judicial Ethics, Non-Lawyer Practice | 1 Comment

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

A Revolution on the Federal Judiciary About Treatment of Those Without Lawyers?

Posted on September 10, 2017 by richardzorza

An ABA Journal article, could open a whole front in access to justice: [Judge Posner] abruptly announced his retirement from the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, effective the next day. The reason is due to “difficulty” with his … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Federal Courts, Self-Help Services, Systematic Change | 2 Comments

A Broader Branding Perspective for Access to Justice — Service and Change

Posted on September 9, 2017 by richardzorza

I think it may be time to think our way through to a new and broader way we think and talk about our movement.  These suggestions are based on assumptions that I list below, that are strongly supported by the … Continue reading →

Posted in ABA, Access to Justice Generally, Bar Associations, Chasm with Communities, Communications Strategy, Legal Aid, Non-Lawyer Practice, Political Support, Public Welfare Foundation, Systematic Change | 1 Comment

Guest Blog From Claudia Johnson on Smartphone Usage

Posted on September 7, 2017 by richardzorza

From Claudia, quoting a new Pew Report. “As  is true of the population more broadly, smartphones play an especially prominent role in providing online access to blacks and Hispanics with relatively low household incomes. Only around half of blacks and Hispanics from … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Guest Bloggers, Mobile Technology, Technology | Comments Off on Guest Blog From Claudia Johnson on Smartphone Usage

A Small Caution for Trump on the Pardon Power With Respect to Federal Contempts

Posted on August 21, 2017 by richardzorza

It does appear to be good law that even Federal Court criminal contempts are pardonable by presidents.  (I had  thought there might be a separation of power claim.) However, the Supreme Curt has hinted, back in 1925, that a pattern … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Constitution, Contempt, Criminal Law, Federal Courts, White House | Comments Off on A Small Caution for Trump on the Pardon Power With Respect to Federal Contempts

The Charlottesville Victim Was a Paralegal

Posted on August 13, 2017 by richardzorza

Here is my politics post in her honor: If anyone worries about the future of the world, just look into Ms. Heyer’s eyes. (Photo from Facebook, and in other media.) That gentleness and strength, as detailed in these two articles, … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Love, Race | Comments Off on The Charlottesville Victim Was a Paralegal

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

Medicaid Survival Has Critical Messages for Access to Justice Strategy

Posted on July 31, 2017 by richardzorza

For decades, legal aid advocates were terrified of the potential political appeal and horrendous damage that block granting Medicaid would do. We feared that as a “poor people’s program” it would have few defenders and no voting clout. We were … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally | Comments Off on Medicaid Survival Has Critical Messages for Access to Justice Strategy

Justice Index Gets ABA Pro Bono Award

Posted on July 31, 2017 by richardzorza

The ABA has announced that the Justice Index has been awarded an ABA Pro Bono Award. (Press coverage of the Index here.) This certainly helps cement the status of the Index as a major infrastructure component of the access to … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, ABA, Access to Justice Generally, Communications Strategy, Justice Index, Outcome Measures, Pro Bono | Comments Off on Justice Index Gets ABA Pro Bono Award

Professional-Client Partnering Lessons

Posted on July 22, 2017 by richardzorza

Note: This is an access to just version of a recent post on my Patient Partnering Site. A recently published tool intended to be used by medical institutions to encourage their patients to think of themselves as members of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Attorney-Client, Bar Associations, Communications Strategy, Court Management, Defender Programs, Law Schools, Legal Aid, Legal Ethics, LSC, Medical System Comparision, Self-Help Services, Systematic Change, Usabilty | 1 Comment

New Public Welfare Foundation President Announced

Posted on July 10, 2017 by richardzorza

Good news The Public Welfare Foundation has announced that their new President, effective October 1, will be Candice Jones, currently Senior Advisor at Chicago CRED in Illinois.  As the announcement notes: Previously, she served as Director of the Illinois Department … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Public Welfare Foundation, Transitions | Comments Off on New Public Welfare Foundation President Announced

Maybe Gorsuch Has Some Possibilities

Posted on July 7, 2017 by richardzorza

There is certainly evidence in support of the dominant meme of Gorsuch’s extreme conservatism.  However, there may be one nugget of good news in the access to justice area. In a VA disability case, in which the Court denied cert., … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Access to Justice Generally, Administative Proecdure, Court Management, Federal Agencies, Federal Courts, Rules Reform, Simplification, Supreme Court, Systematic Change, Veterans | 2 Comments

Google Home May Help Us Understand the Definition of “Legal Advice,” and Therefore of What Activities Falls Under Regulatory Authority.

Posted on July 6, 2017 by richardzorza

This is sort of fun. We have been struggling now for over two decades to find the most useful and access-expanding ways of explaining when an interaction is the giving of information, not generally subject of regulation as the practice … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Artificial Intelligence, Child Support, Document Assembly, Family Law, Legal Ethics, Non-Lawyer Practice, Plain Language, Public Education, Remote Services, Self-Help Services, Systematic Change, Technology, Triage | 1 Comment