Category Archives: Law Schools

Massachusetts Adds Access to Justice to Bar Exam — Ideas on Implications

Posted on May 5, 2014 by richardzorza

Massachusetts has now added access to justice to the bar exam, starting in 2016. As previously reported in this blog when comment was sought, the now-accepted proposal includes a wide range of topics from landlord tenant to predatory lending, and … Continue reading →

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Thoughts on the Special Value of the Upcoming Conference on Enhancing Social Justice Through The Development of Incubators & Residency Programs

Posted on March 26, 2014 by richardzorza

This post is much later than it should be, but I think it is still important to draw attention to the upcoming Conference on Enhancing Social Justice Through The Development of Incubators & Residency Programs on Thursday, April 3, 2014 … Continue reading →

Posted in Incubators, Law Schools, Middle Income | Comments Off on Thoughts on the Special Value of the Upcoming Conference on Enhancing Social Justice Through The Development of Incubators & Residency Programs

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Formally Asks for Comments on Proposed Rule To Include ATJ on Bar Exam

Posted on February 28, 2014 by richardzorza

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (the state’s top court) is formally asking for comment on a proposed rule change that would put access to justice issues on the bar exam. The proposed rule is written in such a way that … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Judicial Ethics, Law Schools, Legal Ethics, Unbundling | 2 Comments

Well-Earned Transitions

Posted on February 27, 2014 by richardzorza

A couple of well earned transitions: Luz Herrera is to move to UCLA Law School as Assistant Dean for Clinical Education, Experiential Learning and Public Service. As UCLA put it: She is a Harvard Law School graduate whose bicultural upbringing … Continue reading →

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New York Times Editorializes in Support of Court Navigators

Posted on February 27, 2014 by richardzorza

Hopefully today’s editorial will help spread the word nationally about the court navigators and other innovations proposed by CJ Lippman. New York State’s chief judge, Jonathan Lippman, is making some innovative changes to the education and training of lawyers as … Continue reading →

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New York Chief Judge Lippman Announces Court Navigator Program in State of Judiciary

Posted on February 11, 2014 by richardzorza

This could be a very important milestone in the development of access to justice. Building on practice in other common law countries, Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman to today announced in his 2014 New York State of the Judiciary speech, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Judicial Ethics, Law Schools, Non-Lawyer Practice | 4 Comments

Jeanne Charn to Receive 2014 AALS William Pincus Award Reflecting Decades of Acheivement and Contribution

Posted on December 11, 2013 by richardzorza

Jeanne, in my opinion, is long overdue for this award.  I asked her colleagues Luz Herrera and Jeff Selbin to draft this blog and am proud to share it.  I add that I think this is a particularly appropriate time … Continue reading →

Posted in Incubators, Law Schools | Comments Off on Jeanne Charn to Receive 2014 AALS William Pincus Award Reflecting Decades of Acheivement and Contribution

New York Self-Help Follows Up on Open Souce Access to Law Reviews

Posted on October 21, 2013 by richardzorza

I rarely post based on an online comment, but this one more than deserves it. Rochelle Klempner, Counsel to NY Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Fern Fisher , just responded to my most recent post on the new public access system … Continue reading →

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ABA Task Force Recommends Legal Education Changes, Including Licensing of Less Trained Legal Pofessionals

Posted on September 20, 2013 by richardzorza

Just released, and drawing wide attention, is the Draft Report of the ABA Task Force on Legal Education.  The NYT Summary: Faced with rising student debt and declining applications to law schools, a task force of the American Bar Association … Continue reading →

Posted in Law Schools, Pro Bono | 1 Comment

NYT Article on Gender and Class at Havard Business School Inspires Admissions Rule Suggestion

Posted on September 9, 2013 by richardzorza

On Sunday the New York Times ran an article that was both inspiring and chilling.  Bottom line — energetic intervention by the administration almost completely eliminated the prior huge grade gap between men and women.  The chilling context, however, is … Continue reading →

Posted in Law Schools | 1 Comment

President’s Coming Out for Two Year Law School Underlines Need for New Access Head at DOJ

Posted on August 25, 2013 by richardzorza

It is great to see the President coming out in favor of cutting law school to two years. On Friday, he questioned the utility of a third year of classes and suggested that students use their final two semesters to … Continue reading →

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Law Student Pro Bono, The ABA, CCJ Resolution and the Moral Crisis of the Profession

Posted on August 7, 2013 by richardzorza

This is an important week for the issue of mandatory law student pro bono, and also for the moral status of the bar. As David Udell and Deborah Rhode explain in a National Law Journal article, The ABA body responsible … Continue reading →

Posted in Law Schools, Legal Ethics, Non-Lawyer Practice | 3 Comments

Mass ATJ Commission Proposes Adding Access Issues to Bar Exam

Posted on June 13, 2013 by richardzorza

This is a great idea, and also an illustration of how Commissions can push the envelope. The Massachusetts Commission has proposed to the state Board of Bar Examiners that access to justice issues be added to the bar exam.  Memo … Continue reading →

Posted in Law Schools, Legal Ethics | Tagged , | 1 Comment

David Udell Blogs on New Jerseys Consideration of Bar Admission Pro Bono Requirment

Posted on May 17, 2013 by richardzorza

David Udell, director of the National Center for Access to Justice has an excellent summary on his blog, here, of the NJ proposal for a bar admission pro bono requirement. Among the differences from NY are limitation to programs and … Continue reading →

Posted in Law Schools, Pro Bono | Tagged | 1 Comment

News on Law Student Pro Bono

Posted on March 8, 2013 by richardzorza

The National Center for Access to Justice shares some news on the New York law student pro bono rule, and beyond. The Center has released its recommendations for software to support law student pro bono.  “The Center is interested in … Continue reading →

Posted in Law Schools, Pro Bono, Technology | Comments Off on News on Law Student Pro Bono