Category Archives: LSC

White House Forum on Access to Justice — Livestream at 1 PM Eastern Today, April 19

Posted on April 19, 2016 by richardzorza

Today, at 1 PM, click on the link today to watch the livestream of the White House Forum on Increasing Access to Justice. https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/white-house-forum-increasing-access-justice There is an article in the American Lawyer, which describes the anticipated announcement at this event … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, LSC, White House | Comments Off on White House Forum on Access to Justice — Livestream at 1 PM Eastern Today, April 19

UK Supreme Court Might Be Able to Teach US Court a Lesson on Urgency of Protecting Legal Aid

Posted on April 18, 2016 by richardzorza

Tomorrow, Tuesday the 19th, LSC and its friends will enjoy an invitation-only reception at the US Supreme Court following the LSC day at the White House, and to be addressed by Justice Kennedy, among others.  It is obviously a very … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Discrimination, Immigration, International Models, Legal Aid, LSC, Supreme Court, White House | Comments Off on UK Supreme Court Might Be Able to Teach US Court a Lesson on Urgency of Protecting Legal Aid

Moving to 100% Access Strategic Plans – The LSC TIG Program as Opportunity and Harbinger

Posted on January 30, 2016 by richardzorza

The 2016 Legal Services Corporation Technology grant solicitation,due Feb 29, suggests one of the ways that the Chefs 100% Resolution can move towards true implementation. It creates as its first listed specific area of interest, “Achieving 100% Access,” which it … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Funding, IOLTA, Legal Aid, LSC, Outcome Measures, Systematic Change, Technology | Comments Off on Moving to 100% Access Strategic Plans – The LSC TIG Program as Opportunity and Harbinger

Outcome Measures #2: LSC Outcomes Measures, Good News, Bad News, and A Challenge

Posted on January 14, 2016 by richardzorza

This is number 2 in an occasional series on outcome measures.  Number 1 reiterated how important it is to develop and apply such measures system wide. There is good news and bad news on LSC outcome measures. The good news: … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, IOLTA, Legal Aid, LSC, Metrics, Outcome Measures, Research and Evalation, Series: Outcome Measures | Comments Off on Outcome Measures #2: LSC Outcomes Measures, Good News, Bad News, and A Challenge

Five Transformative Bar Reform Ideas To Get to 100% to Justice — Paper Abstract

Posted on January 5, 2016 by richardzorza

A few months ago, the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics invited me to submit a paper on the relationship between access to justice, commercialization of the legal practice, and judicial ethics.  The paper will be published in the summer of … Continue reading →

Posted in Attorney-Client, Bar Associations, Funding, Legal Aid, LSC, Middle Income, Mixed Model, Non-Lawyer Practice, Outcome Measures, Political Support, Systematic Change, Tax Policy, Technology, Triage, Unbundling | 2 Comments

We Need a National Campaign for Access to Justice — Why the CCJ/COSCA Resolution Makes it So Much Easier and What Might It Start to Look Like?

Posted on September 18, 2015 by richardzorza

There are lots of reasons why we really do not have in place anything like a national campaign for 100% access     (Although we have certainly become much better at talking about the need).  One of the reasons for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Bar Associations, Budget Issues, Communications Strategy, Legal Aid, LEP, LSC, Self-Help Services, Simplification, Triage, Unbundling | 1 Comment

LSC’s Jim Sandman Interview Shows Pace of Change in Access to Justice

Posted on September 7, 2015 by richardzorza

A recent interview that LSC’s Jim Sandman gave to Bloomberg/BDA underlines how fast things are changing in access to justice.  Among the nuggets: Among the reasons Jim gives for the access crisis is  “A regulatory system that stultifies innovation and … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Legal Aid, LSC, Non-Lawyer Practice, Simplification, Systematic Change, Technology | Comments Off on LSC’s Jim Sandman Interview Shows Pace of Change in Access to Justice

Mixed Thoughts on Arguments Against Comparability of Data and Goal Setting

Posted on July 2, 2015 by richardzorza

A few days ago, I blogged about recent massive reductions in heart attack deaths, and the contribution that the establishment of required reporting of comparable data, and the setting of clear goals, contributed to those improvements. While doing so, I … Continue reading →

Posted in LSC, Research and Evalation | 7 Comments

NYT Publishes First Article on Comprehensive Changes in Legal Aid (Broadly Defined)

Posted on November 24, 2014 by richardzorza

Showing the huge value and potential of a coherent communications strategy for the legal aid world (broadly defined to include both community-based and court-based legal aid) the New York Times on Saturday published its first real comprehensive article on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Communications Strategy, Legal Aid, LSC, Non-Lawyer Practice, Political Support, Self-Help Services, Systematic Change, Triage | Comments Off on NYT Publishes First Article on Comprehensive Changes in Legal Aid (Broadly Defined)

Roger Smith on Contrast Between British Columbia and UK Legal Aid Cuts Has Valuable Lessons

Posted on October 16, 2014 by richardzorza

I want to draw your attention to a blog post by the UK’s wonderful Roger Smith contrasting the BC and UK approach to cutting, and response to cuts in, legal aid budgets.  His essential point is that the BC cuts, … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Budget Issues, International Models, Legal Aid, LSC, Technology | 1 Comment

Highlights and Thoughts on the LSC 40th Anniversary

Posted on September 18, 2014 by richardzorza

Earlier this week, LSC had its 40th anniversary shebang in DC. As I understand it, the primary goal was to establish LSC and federal funding of community-based legal aid as a permanent bi-partisan commitment.  It certainly moved us a long … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, LSC | 1 Comment

LSC Announces Pro Bono Innovation Grants

Posted on September 9, 2014 by richardzorza

LSC has just announced its first pro bono innovation awards, funded by a special line in the LSC appropriation.  These grants follow the TIG model, they are discretionary and competitive, and intended to be innovative. This years grants cover the … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, LSC, Pro Bono, Technology | Comments Off on LSC Announces Pro Bono Innovation Grants

Assessing the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Institutional Structure of Communty Based Legal Aid

Posted on July 21, 2014 by richardzorza

As “access to justice” receives more and more attention, and as we start to put in place new structures such as the “communications hub,” perhaps it is time to step back and think about the strengths and weakness of our … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Communications Strategy, LSC, Systematic Change | Comments Off on Assessing the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Institutional Structure of Communty Based Legal Aid

Thoughts in Response to Esther Lardent’s Question About Unbundling and Pro Bono

Posted on May 31, 2014 by richardzorza

The ever-thoughtful Esther Lardent recently asked whether we are “shrinking pro bono?”  As I understand it, the core of her worry about the impact of unbundling innovation is expressed in this para. In the right context, limited-scope pro bono service … Continue reading →

Posted in LSC, Pro Bono, Unbundling | 2 Comments

Communications Research Underlines Need for Coordinated Marketing and Enhancement of Online Tools for All

Posted on May 9, 2014 by richardzorza

One of the clearest messages from the communications research is that the best — perhaps the only — way to get public support for increased resources for court and community based legal aid above the needed 50% threshold is to … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, IOLTA, LSC, Technology | 1 Comment