Category Archives: Court Management

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

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

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

Illinois Strategic Plan Combines Principles, Initiatives, and Success Measures

Posted on July 2, 2017 by richardzorza

The superb new strategic plan from the Illinois Access to Justice Commission is a model in may ways.  I want, however, to emphasize one, its structure.  This approach gives them, and us, a strong and effective document that will serve … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Communications Strategy, Court Management, Outcome Measures, Plain Language, Planning, Research and Evalation, Rules Reform, Self-Help Services, Simplification | Comments Off on Illinois Strategic Plan Combines Principles, Initiatives, and Success Measures

Video of Mary McClymont on Importance of Justice For All Innovations For Every Substantive Issue

Posted on June 7, 2017 by richardzorza

Recently, I blogged about Mary McClymont’s moving and wonderful speech when she got the Champion of Justice Award. Now, here is the video. Some of the key text: .  .  .  there is good news: the crisis has given rise … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Bar Associations, Communications Strategy, Court Management, Funding, Law Schools, Legal Aid, Media, Political Support, Poverty, Public Education, Public Welfare Foundation, Self-Help Services, Social Workers, Systematic Change | Comments Off on Video of Mary McClymont on Importance of Justice For All Innovations For Every Substantive Issue

The LSC – Pro Bono Net – Microsoft Statewide ATJ Portal

Posted on May 8, 2017 by richardzorza

Now that the pilot states for the ATJ Statewide Portal Project have been announced as the two states of Alaska and Hawaii, we can start to see what it is all going to look like. At a minimum, it helps … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Court Management, Funding, Legal Aid, Technology, Triage | Comments Off on The LSC – Pro Bono Net – Microsoft Statewide ATJ Portal

100% Access to Justice Strategic Planning — a Forms Component Template

Posted on May 1, 2017 by richardzorza

The Justice for All Strategic Planing and Guidance, being used by the seven grantee states,  and others on a more informal basis, includes a number of key components. (List at page 5 in cover Memo.)  One of the most important … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Access to Justice Boards, Court Management, Forms | 4 Comments

National Academy Report On Need for Strategy to Understand Impact of Technology on Economy and Employment Suggests Need to Go Further

Posted on April 17, 2017 by richardzorza

As reported in the New York Times, and elaborated in Nature, a panel of the National Academies has called for a national approach to data to understand and manage the impact of technology on the economy and jobs.  As Nature … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Court Management, Document Assembly, Non-Lawyer Practice, Research and Evalation, Science, Simplification, Systematic Change, Technology, Triage | Comments Off on National Academy Report On Need for Strategy to Understand Impact of Technology on Economy and Employment Suggests Need to Go Further

ICE Policy Insults Courts by Not Treating Them as “Sensitive Locations.” This Calls for Far More Forceful Response By National Access and Court Organizations.

Posted on April 3, 2017 by richardzorza

This from the ICE FAQ page says it all: Are courthouses sensitive locations? Courthouses do not fall under ICE or CBP’s policies concerning enforcement actions at or focused on sensitive locations. In other words, courts are not the kind of … Continue reading →

Posted in Constitution, Court Management, Immigration, Judicial Supremacy, Self-Help Services, White House | Comments Off on ICE Policy Insults Courts by Not Treating Them as “Sensitive Locations.” This Calls for Far More Forceful Response By National Access and Court Organizations.

Another “Roles Beyond Lawyers” Evaluation Adds To the Very Encouraging Mosaic and Highlights Need For Replication Support

Posted on March 23, 2017 by richardzorza

This week, the Preliminary Evaluation of the Washington State Limited License Legal Technician (LLLT) program, performed by the National Center for State Courts and the American Bar Foundation, was released.  The basic idea of the program is to permit certain … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Bar Associations, Court Management, De-Regulation, Law Schools, Legal Aid, Legal Ethics, Mixed Model, Non-Lawyer Practice, Public Welfare Foundation, Research and Evalation, Systematic Change, Triage | 1 Comment

What Does It Say That Courts Records Are No Longer To Be Used For Credit Score Calculating and Reporting

Posted on March 12, 2017 by richardzorza

What a judgment on the courts.  As reported by the Washington Post — (Kenneth R. Harney): In a little-known policy shift, the three national credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — plan to stop collecting and reporting substantial amounts … Continue reading →

Posted in Bankruptcy, Consumer Rights, Court Fees and Costs, Court Management, Debt Collction, Evictions, Foreclosure, Housing | 3 Comments

Algorithms and Checklists May Help Deal With Implicit Bias

Posted on January 12, 2017 by richardzorza

While I am an advocate of algorithm driven processes in law, I still have a slightly queasy feeling about the whole idea.  It comes from the fear that outcomes are not going to be “far,” but are going to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Criminal Law, De-Regulation, Domestic Violence, Evictions, Legal Aid, Medical System Comparision, Non-Lawyer Practice, Outcome Measures, Science, Simplification, Systematic Change, Tools, Triage | Comments Off on Algorithms and Checklists May Help Deal With Implicit Bias

New HHS Rules Effective Jan 19, 2017 Include Very Good News About the Scope of Federal Reimbursement for Paternity and Child Support Establishment Expenditures For Self Help and Educational Services

Posted on December 20, 2016 by richardzorza

As I hope most of you know, two thirds of eligible state costs incurred for the establishment and enforcement of child support obligations are reimbursable by HHS.  There is no cap on the total amount, but expenditures must be pursuant … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Support, Court Management, Funding, Self-Help Services, SRLN, Technology | 1 Comment

New York Times Highlights Access to Justice, the Self-Represented, Technology and LawHelp Interactive

Posted on December 14, 2016 by richardzorza

In a recent Year of Big Ideas in Social Change piece, the Times highlights almost the full area of what we all do: Another example [of using tech to democratize] is civil legal aid. Even though people involved in civil … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Court Management, Document Assembly, expungement, Forms, Legal Aid, Technology | Comments Off on New York Times Highlights Access to Justice, the Self-Represented, Technology and LawHelp Interactive

Media Coverage for “Roles Beyond Lawyers” Spreads

Posted on December 14, 2016 by richardzorza

There is already some media coverage for the Roles Beyond Lawyers Report. In the shocking but likely event that some of your constituencies might find the Wall Street Journal or WNYC more reliable than my blog, here are links to … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Court Management, Media, Non-Lawyer Practice | Comments Off on Media Coverage for “Roles Beyond Lawyers” Spreads