Category Archives: Libraries

Answering a Law Professor’s Worry that Free Online Access to Caselaw Will not Help Access to Justice

Posted on November 14, 2015 by richardzorza

Brian Sheppard, who teaches at Seton Hall Law School, in an interesting blog post on Bloomberg, raises the question whether the Harvard Law School digitization project I blogged about recently, might not really help access to justice. His worry is … Continue reading →

Posted in Document Assembly, E-filing, Libraries, Self-Help Services, Technology | 8 Comments

Moving to Open Access For All Decisions — Implications for SRLs and For Access Organizations

Posted on October 29, 2015 by richardzorza

Today’s New York Times reports on what has the potential to be a revolutionary development in access to legal materials for access to justice. Now, in a digital-age sacrifice intended to serve grand intentions, the Harvard librarians are slicing off … Continue reading →

Posted in Libraries, Self-Help Services, Technology | 2 Comments

American Assoc of Law Libraries Issues Report on Acess to Justice

Posted on September 20, 2014 by richardzorza

An important step from a very significant ally in the access coalition.  The American Association of Law Libraries has issued Law Libraries and Access to Justice, which was drafted by a special committee of the Association. The Report brings together … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Libraries | Comments Off on American Assoc of Law Libraries Issues Report on Acess to Justice

On the Value of Webinars and Cross-Silo Outreach

Posted on September 15, 2012 by richardzorza

As you may know, last week there was a webinar on the potential of libraries for access to justice.  I can now share some of the comments from the evaluations.  The comments show just how valuable this kind of cross-silo … Continue reading →

Posted in Libraries, Technology | Comments Off on On the Value of Webinars and Cross-Silo Outreach

Thursday Webinar on Libraries and Access to Justice

Posted on September 11, 2012 by richardzorza

This is the first of the series of Pro Bono Net webinars on libaries and access to justice, coming up next Thursday.  It obviously helps move forward an important part of the agenda.  I understand that lots of people are … Continue reading →

Posted in Libraries | 2 Comments

Utah Passes Law Library Self-Help Center Bill

Posted on May 3, 2012 by richardzorza

Here is the key language in the description of the bill passed by the Legislature: This bill: creates a self-help center within a court’s law library; requires that the self-help center be staffed by licensed attorneys;  allows the self-help center … Continue reading →

Posted in Libraries, Self-Help Services | Tagged | 1 Comment

New Report on Evolving Role of Law Libraries in the 21st Century

Posted on April 30, 2012 by richardzorza

I have just issued a press release about a Report I have issued about the changing role of law libraries.  Here is the text of the release (link here). Washington, DC – Law libraries can continue to play an integral … Continue reading →

Posted in Libraries | 6 Comments

Future of Law Libaries: Crisis Versus a Twenty First Century Vision

Posted on February 15, 2012 by richardzorza

I am doing some writing right now about the vision for a Twenty-First Century Access to Justice Law Library.  I believe that there is a critical role for law libraries as part of the access community and the access solution. … Continue reading →

Posted in Libraries | 4 Comments

We Welcome Guest Blogger Claudia Johnson Blogging on ATJ Tablet Ideas

Posted on November 17, 2011 by richardzorza

Our first guest blogger is Claudia Colindres Johnson who will be adding her perspectives on access to justice here for the next month or so.  I am particularly pleased to welcome Claudia (already a frequent commenter on the blog) because … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Bloggers, Libraries, Mobile Technology, Technology, This Blog | Tagged | 4 Comments

E-Filing Assistance for the Self-Represented: Seattle Law Library Shows the Way

Posted on July 21, 2011 by richardzorza

One day we will have integrated customer friendly e-filing linked to document assembly software on the one end, and court case management software on the other. Till then, kudos to those self-help oriented programs that are trying to make access … Continue reading →

Posted in Forms, Libraries, Technology | Tagged | 2 Comments

Nice Resource Center for Publc Libraries as Access Point

Posted on July 12, 2011 by richardzorza

In another of the ongoing follow-ups to last year’s Public Libraries and Access to Justice Conference, the Newton Mass public Library has launched its Legal Resources Self Help Center. Intended for the public library user and nonlaw librarian, this Legal … Continue reading →

Posted in Libraries, Technology | Tagged | 1 Comment

Might This be an Opportunity to Get Legal Information into Health Centers?

Posted on July 11, 2011 by richardzorza

HHS Announces: HHS and The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology introduce new Investing in Innovations (i2) Initiative Could we use this initiative as a way to get medical legal information into public health clinics, hospital waiting … Continue reading →

Posted in Libraries, Medical System Comparision, Technology | Tagged | 1 Comment

Thoughts on Health Centers as Legal Information Access Points — A Very Fundable and Partnerable Access-Increasing Concept

Posted on June 13, 2011 by richardzorza

We have made lots of progress in the last couple of years on bringing in public libraries as partners and access points for legal information. Its time to think about other such partners.  Given that money is going to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Dept. of Justice, Libraries, Self-Help Services, Technology | Tagged | 2 Comments

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

Data on Use of Libraries for Access to Law

Posted on May 11, 2011 by richardzorza

I have just been told abut a great study on the use of public libraries, inluding for access to justice. The study, Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries includes data on use … Continue reading →

Posted in Libraries, Technology | Comments Off on Data on Use of Libraries for Access to Law