Category Archives: Court Management

Ohio Supreme Court Task Force Recommends “Access to Justice Impact Statement” Requirement

Posted on April 30, 2015 by richardzorza

The Ohio Supreme Court Task Force on Access to Justice has included among other great proposals, a new and exciting idea in its Recommendations, which would be to require an “Access to Justice Impact Statement” before any changes in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Court Management, LEP | Comments Off on Ohio Supreme Court Task Force Recommends “Access to Justice Impact Statement” Requirement

Illinois “Safe Habor” Policy for SRL assistance Moves the Ball Foward

Posted on April 25, 2015 by richardzorza

There has long been debate about whether listing what self-represented litigant assistance policies are permitted when performed by court staff is useful or harmful.  The argument for listing them is that it makes it much easier for staff to perform … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Self-Help Services | 1 Comment

Guest Post From Sherna Deamer on Making Justice Truly Blind — Where it Should Be

Posted on March 30, 2015 by richardzorza

This blog loves to share provocative “out of the box” ideas that can get conversation going.  Here is one on how to remove some of the unconscious cultural and ethnic bias in our legal system.  It comes from Sherna Deamer, … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Judicial Ethics, LEP, Research and Evalation | 2 Comments

Analysis of Proposed Regs on HHS IV-D Child Support Money — Comments Due Jan 16 — Opportunity to Help Finance Self-Help Infrastructure

Posted on January 7, 2015 by richardzorza

I have long been urging states to take advantage of the IV-D program, which through uncapped matching, triples state investment in child support activities, to help finance self-help services.  Several states such as California do so, and California has used … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Child Support, Court Management, Funding, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on Analysis of Proposed Regs on HHS IV-D Child Support Money — Comments Due Jan 16 — Opportunity to Help Finance Self-Help Infrastructure

A Fascinating Access to Justice Day in Pre-Op for Cataract Surgery

Posted on December 15, 2014 by richardzorza

Recently, I went through the pre-operative procedure for very minor surgery (cataract removal) at Johns Hopkins.  Two fascinating things happened. First,, the person told me to expect on the day of the procedure that the nurse would ask me just … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Judicial Ethics, Medical System Comparision | 2 Comments

Preparing for DAPA: A New Self-Help Need for Court and Community-Based Legal Aid

Posted on December 4, 2014 by richardzorza

The State Justice Institute has just distributed a memo on likely ways that the President’s Delayed Action for Parental Accountability program will result in requests for help to state courts.  The nub of the memo is here: The requirements for … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Court Management, Immigration, Legal Aid, Self-Help Services | 1 Comment

Colorado Civil Access Pilot Project Highlights Potential of Simplifcation

Posted on December 3, 2014 by richardzorza

The October E-SJI News includes an article on the report by the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS) on the Colorado Civil Access Pilot. The core idea of the project which is focused on business cases, … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Rules Reform, Simplification | Comments Off on Colorado Civil Access Pilot Project Highlights Potential of Simplifcation

Proven Value of Timely Texting of Tips Might Extent to the Justice World

Posted on November 16, 2014 by richardzorza

A recent report in the New York Times descried a study that showed that low income children’s reading skills improved very significantly when parents were texted timely reminders about how to help their kids learn: A new study shows that … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Technology | 3 Comments

Evaluation of Idaho Informal Custody Trial Raises Interesting Questions

Posted on November 7, 2014 by richardzorza

For several years, Idaho has been experimenting with an “Informal Custody Trial” (ICT).  They have recently released the evaluation, and we have permission to post it on this blog here, Informal Custody Trial Evaluation Report. Big kudos to the state … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Judicial Ethics, Research and Evalation, Systematic Change | Comments Off on Evaluation of Idaho Informal Custody Trial Raises Interesting Questions

An Argument as to Why Courts Should Not Require Self-Represented Litigants to Draw Up Orders for Judges to Sign

Posted on October 15, 2014 by richardzorza

I have long found it utterly incomprehensible that many courts still require litigants to draw up their own draft orders for the judge then to sign — and they then sometimes blame the litigants for not getting their cases to … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Judicial Ethics, Plain Language | Comments Off on An Argument as to Why Courts Should Not Require Self-Represented Litigants to Draw Up Orders for Judges to Sign

Guest Post on Potential of Lay Advocates by Allan Rodgers

Posted on June 26, 2014 by richardzorza

Allan Rodgers of the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute was my backup resource when I did unemployment advocacy before law school, back in the mid-70s.  His personal model of probity and vision is one the reasons I became a lawyer, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Non-Lawyer Practice, Systematic Change | 3 Comments

How Could Interpreter Costs Be Understood So That They are Not In Conflict With ATJ Goals

Posted on June 21, 2014 by richardzorza

A recent excellent New York Times article by Fernanda Santos about how the push to provide interpreters is putting strain on court budgets, and forcing delay or reduction of other expenditures, highlights the long term costs of state inattention to … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Funding, LEP, SRL Statistics | Comments Off on How Could Interpreter Costs Be Understood So That They are Not In Conflict With ATJ Goals

DOJ Day Highlights Integration of ATJ and LEP Approaches

Posted on March 4, 2014 by richardzorza

On Friday at the Department of Justice, the Civil Rights Division launched its Language Access Planning and Technical Assistance Tool.  While the tool itself, introduced with great skill by Deeana Jang, Chief, Federal Coordination and Compliance Section,Civil Rights Division, is … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Court Management, Dept. of Justice, Judicial Ethics, LEP, Meetings | 1 Comment

Free Technical Assisance and Travel Grants Available From NCSC Public Welfare Foundation Grant

Posted on January 23, 2014 by richardzorza

Here is a timely reminder.  There is still money available in the access to justice court technical assistance and travel pool established at the National Center for State Courts by a grant from the Public Welfare Foundation.  But any grant … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Funding, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on Free Technical Assisance and Travel Grants Available From NCSC Public Welfare Foundation Grant

Reflecting on Court Technology at Midtown Community Court’s 20th Anniversary

Posted on September 22, 2013 by richardzorza

It is hard to believe that the 20th anniversary of Midtown Community Court is fast approaching.  While not the first drug court — that honor goes to Miami Dade — Midtown is broadly recognized as having played a major role … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, This Blog | 1 Comment