Category Archives: Legal Aid

Wayne Moore Part Two: Roles of ATJ Commissions, Pro Bono, LSC etc., and A Ten Year Vision

Posted on April 28, 2011 by richardzorza

This is Part Two of our NewsMaker Interview with Wayne Moore, author of Delivering Legal Services to Low-Income People.  Part One, here, included discussion of what Wayne has learned about how a system should be built, what components it should … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Forms, IOLTA, Legal Aid, LSC, Metrics, Newsmaker Interview, Pro Bono, Research and Evalation, Self-Help Services, Technology, Unbundling | 2 Comments

Wayne Moore Discusses His Comprehensive Vision for Legal Aid Programs — Part One of Our NewsMaker Interview

Posted on April 25, 2011 by richardzorza

Wayne Moore has been an access to justice leader for almost 30 years.  Two of his greatest achievements have been helping to conceptualize and operationalize the hotline and pro bono movements.  He has now drawn upon his long experience to … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, IOLTA, Legal Aid, LSC, Metrics, Newsmaker Interview, Technology | 4 Comments

Quick Budget Update — 2011 Continuing Resolution Detail

Posted on April 12, 2011 by richardzorza

Here is a quick access to justice update (to the best of my understanding) of the implications in the Continuing Resolution agreed to by the President and House and Senate leadership.  It has not yet been passed in either chamber. … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Budget Issues, Legal Aid | Comments Off on Quick Budget Update — 2011 Continuing Resolution Detail

NewsMaker Interview: CJ Lippman on New York Foreclosure Settlement Representation Project

Posted on April 4, 2011 by richardzorza

This blog is proud to present our second NewsMaker Interview, which is with Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman of New York.  It focuses on the recently announced Foreclosure Settlement Representation Project.  C.J. Lippman has long been a national leader in access … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Budget Issues, Foreclosure, Legal Aid, Newsmaker Interview, Pro Bono, Self-Help Services | Tagged , | Comments Off on NewsMaker Interview: CJ Lippman on New York Foreclosure Settlement Representation Project

Reflective Response on Thinking About Client’s Feelings — Suggestions for Progrms and Funders to Address Issues

Posted on March 31, 2011 by richardzorza

I am posting a response (with permission to do so without attribution) to the recent blog about thinking about litigants’ emotions. Thanks for raising this. I think that a lot of a lawyer’s inability to deal with emotions starts in … Continue reading →

Posted in Judicial Ethics, Law Schools, Legal Aid, Medical System Comparision, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on Reflective Response on Thinking About Client’s Feelings — Suggestions for Progrms and Funders to Address Issues

Keeping Open to Research Regardless of Perceived Risk By Minimizing Error in Use of Access Research

Posted on March 29, 2011 by richardzorza

This is a modified version of my post yesterday, Avoiding the Shut Down Effect  From Uncertain Research Results in the online Symposium conducted by the Concurring Opinions blog. That blog is about some research, previously highlighted on this blog, into … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, Law Schools, Legal Aid, Research and Evalation | 1 Comment

California AOC Head Bill Vickrey to Retire — Major Facilitator of Access Transformation

Posted on March 23, 2011 by richardzorza

Bill Vickrey, head of the California AOC has announced his retirement.  This is a moment that can not go unnoticed in the national access to justice community. The impact of Bill’s quiet work for access, conducted in close partnership with … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Legal Aid | Tagged | Comments Off on California AOC Head Bill Vickrey to Retire — Major Facilitator of Access Transformation

Mass Charges Fee to Challenge Moving Violation — State Supreme Ct Challenge — Indigent Court Costs Statute

Posted on March 7, 2011 by richardzorza

That’s right.  In venerable Massachusetts, you have to pay a fee to challenge a traffic ticket (Boston Globe story). A challenge is now pending in the SJC (Supreme Judicial Court — Docket entries and briefs here).  The statistics appear to … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Court Fees and Costs, Legal Aid, Middle Income | Tagged | Comments Off on Mass Charges Fee to Challenge Moving Violation — State Supreme Ct Challenge — Indigent Court Costs Statute

New Article on National Consensus about Access to Justice

Posted on February 24, 2011 by richardzorza

I thought folks might be interested in my new Judicature article, Access to Justice: The Emerging Consensus and Some Questions and Implications. It will be in the forthcoming Jan-Feb 2011 issue.  Thanks to Judicature, one of my favorite publications, for … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Legal Aid, Self-Help Services, Systematic Change, Unbundling | Tagged | 2 Comments

NY Courts Attempt to Provide “Legal Assistance or Representation” at all Initial Foreclosure Settlement Conferences

Posted on February 15, 2011 by richardzorza

As NY Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman announced in his State of the Judiciary today, and as the NYT is reporting, the NY courts are taking steps to make sure that there is greater help in foreclosure cases for homeowners.  Please … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Foreclosure, Funding, Legal Aid | Tagged , | Comments Off on NY Courts Attempt to Provide “Legal Assistance or Representation” at all Initial Foreclosure Settlement Conferences

NYT Cute Budget Visualization Tool

Posted on February 14, 2011 by richardzorza

The NYT has a great tool for visualizing the President’s proposed 2012 Federal budget. It shows the whole budget as blocks, and you can zoom in and/or search by agency (LSC at $450 million, SJI at $5 million). For anyone … Continue reading →

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LSC Board Hears Briefing on Technology and Innovation

Posted on February 1, 2011 by richardzorza

Last Thursday, I was part of a group that briefed the LSC Board on Technology and Innovation at an open briefing prior to its formal meeting later in the week.  Incoming LSC President Jim Sandman was present, as were four … Continue reading →

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UK Legal Aid Cuts

Posted on December 27, 2010 by richardzorza

As many of you know, the UK legal aid system is far better funded than that in the US, with Earl Johnston, for example, estimating that the per capita spending on civil legal aid in the UK is ten times … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, Legal Aid | Comments Off on UK Legal Aid Cuts

Chicago Bar Foundation Has New Report on Legal Aid Including Brief Service Stats, and Citing Useful 2009 Report on Effectiveness of Self-Help Services

Posted on December 20, 2010 by richardzorza

The Chicago Bar Foundation has released a new Report, Legal Aid in Cook County A Report on Basic Trends in Need, Service and Funding. Lots of interesting stuff, but I want particularly to highlight these stats on the percentage of … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, Legal Aid, Self-Help Services | Tagged , | 1 Comment