Category Archives: Funding

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

Martha Minow Talks About LSC Strategic Planning Process, TIG, etc.

Posted on September 19, 2011 by richardzorza

This is encouraging.  Martha Minow, Vice-Chair of the LSC Board (as well as Dean of Harvard Law School), was recently interviewed by Spindle Law blog.  Some questions were about LSC.  Here is that exchange in full (look particularly at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, LSC, Technology | 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

ABA Boies-Olsen Report On Court Budgets is Out — Goes Beyond Budget Issues

Posted on August 18, 2011 by richardzorza

The David Boies – Theodore Olsen Report is out.  This you will recall, is the ABA project on the need to protect the court system during the funding crisis, and is another initiative bringing together these once (and maybe future) … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget Issues, Funding, Systematic Change, Technology, Transparency | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

DOJ Posts List of Funding Resorces for Court LEP Improvements

Posted on August 3, 2011 by richardzorza

With the ABA proposed Language Access Standards coming up for ABA approval, it may be worth noting that DOJ has posted a listing of possible funding resources for courts as they move to address LEP issues. The listing is here. … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget Issues, Dept. of Justice, Funding, LEP | Comments Off on DOJ Posts List of Funding Resorces for Court LEP Improvements

Bureau of Justice Assistance Has New Confirmed Director, Denise O’Donnell from New York

Posted on July 14, 2011 by richardzorza

I missed this.  The Bureau of Justice Assistance’s new Director Denise O’Donnell, was confined by the Senate in late May. Given BJA’s critical role in federal grants to the justice system, this is an important appointment.  Here is a list … Continue reading →

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DOJ Grant Information Page — With E-mail Updating Notification Available

Posted on July 5, 2011 by richardzorza

Special thanks to the DOJ Access Initative for its Grants Information Page, bringing together informtion about a wide range of Federal grants, including many that would not normally get the attention of access advocates. For example as of his date, … Continue reading →

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The UK Legal Aid Cuts

Posted on June 24, 2011 by richardzorza

Richard Moorhead is a wise and reflective observer of the access to justice world, focusing on the UK. His latest blog post (well worth reading in full) brings both informtion and perspective on the very depressing news out of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, International Models | Tagged | Comments Off on The UK Legal Aid Cuts

Law Library Budget Crises: The Moral Is Clear — Serve the General Public

Posted on June 9, 2011 by richardzorza

We are hearing more and more about budget crises impacting court-related law libraries. For example, West Virginia is closing its regional law libraries. Similarly, law libraries in Texas, Washington State, and Connecticut are facing urgent funding problems.

Posted in Funding, Libraries | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

A Way to Move Forward on Language Access — Create a Laboratory Language Access Court

Posted on June 8, 2011 by richardzorza

For many, the language access/participation issue (see here for recent blog on terminology) seems overwhelming.  While agreeing strongly with the goals, folks are anxious over the required levels of expenditures, and nervous of possible diversion of money urgently needed for … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, LEP, Research and Evalation, Systematic Change | Tagged | 2 Comments

Elder Courts — The Next Frontier? Calfornia Model Wins Award

Posted on June 7, 2011 by richardzorza

Elder courts are surely a wave of the future –if only because of the demographics, and the need to focus social service and support resources in the courthouse when senior cases are to be there.  It can not hurt that … Continue reading →

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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 →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Funding, LSC, Systematic Change | Tagged , | Comments Off on Taking Advdantage of the Moment of Opportunity — An Institutional Strategy for Access

California Judicial Council Approves Seven Shriver Pilot Project Grants: Court Involvement, Triage and Evaluation

Posted on May 13, 2011 by richardzorza

The California Judicial Council has approved seven Shriver “civil Gideon” pilot grants (with some for two projects within the same grant).  The overall project includes required court involvement, triage, and a broad evaluation.  Note that notwithstanding media description otherwise, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Funding, Research and Evalation | Tagged | 1 Comment

Data, Decision-Making, and Eficiency — the Payoff Is Begining to Show and We Are Way Behind

Posted on April 26, 2011 by richardzorza

An important article in Saturday’s NYT is on the payoff from data-driven decision-making.  This is an area that has not been much studied in the past, and must be distinguished from the the different question of efficiencies from automating or … Continue reading →

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