Category Archives: Metrics

Does the Concept of “Entity Regulation” Provide an Entry Point for Access Contribution Requrements

Posted on April 2, 2016 by richardzorza

The ABA Commission on the Future of Legal Services has just released for comment an Issues Paper Concerning Unregulated LSP Entities.  The basic idea is that currently unregulated legal services provider entities, such as online document assembly services, might be … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, ABA, De-Regulation, Document Assembly, Incnetives, Metrics | 2 Comments

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

Important Paper On Impact of Technology On Need For Lawyers May Answer One Question, But Ask Bigger Ones

Posted on January 8, 2016 by richardzorza

A recent New York Times article reports on a just drafted study on the potential impact on legal employment markets of the spread of technology. As explained in the Times: . . . [T]here are many human activities that cannot … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Attorney-Client, Bar Associations, Document Assembly, Metrics, Non-Lawyer Practice, Research and Evalation, Rules Reform, Simplification, Technology | Comments Off on Important Paper On Impact of Technology On Need For Lawyers May Answer One Question, But Ask Bigger Ones

John Naughton In the Guardian Calls for Code of Ethics For Those Who Write Algorithms

Posted on December 7, 2015 by richardzorza

A fascinating article in the Guardian is of relevance to anyone who builds or uses technology in the justice system. After highlighting the range of decisions made by algorithms today, and their potential consequences, the writer, John Naughton, moves to … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Court Management, Metrics, Outcome Measures, Research and Evalation, Software Developers, Technology, Transparency, Triage | Comments Off on John Naughton In the Guardian Calls for Code of Ethics For Those Who Write Algorithms

A Challenge on Civil Advocacy Legal Aid Outcome Meaures

Posted on August 6, 2015 by richardzorza

While there is now general agreement that outcome measures for civil advocacy legal aid are a good idea, and that measures need to be different in different areas of substantive advocacy, it is apparently hard to get agreement on common … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Aid, Medical System Comparision, Metrics, Outcome Measures, Research and Evalation | 1 Comment

ATJ Commissions Planning Survey Shows Energy, Common Directions and Interest in Multi-State Networking

Posted on July 29, 2015 by richardzorza

After the Access to Justice Commissions meeting this spring in Austin, the Commissions were invited to respond to a brief survey as to their interest in following up on the areas for possible initiatives that had been the focus of … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Chasm with Communities, Communications Strategy, Court Fees and Costs, Funding, Legal Aid, Metrics, Planning, Self-Help Services, Simplification, Technology | 1 Comment

HiL Comparision of Nine European Countries Legal Aid Systems Should Get Everyone Thinking About Costs, Quality, and System Change

Posted on August 13, 2014 by richardzorza

Netherlands-based HiL has released an absolutely fascinating study of nine European legal aid systems.  This not only compares costs (based on hard numbers)  , but also hypothesizes which organizational, structural, and legal system aspects seem to be driving higher or … Continue reading →

Posted in International Models, Metrics | 2 Comments

Shift of Poor People to Mobile Phones May Result in Undercounting in Legal Needs Studies

Posted on July 10, 2014 by richardzorza

The Center for Disease Control has just released some stats on the relationship between poverty and cell phone use.  As they put it: Adults living in poverty (56.2%) were more likely than adults living near poverty (46.1%) and higher income … Continue reading →

Posted in Metrics, Research and Evalation | 3 Comments

Thoughts on the LSC TIG Solicitation

Posted on February 21, 2013 by richardzorza

The LSC Technology Grants solicitation is out, with short letters of intent due March 18.  While applications must be made by existing LSC grantees, there is great openness to cooperative grants in which access to justice partners, including courts, are … Continue reading →

Posted in Document Assembly, Forms, Law Schools, Legal Aid, LSC, Metrics, Pro Bono, Software Developers, Technology, Triage | 1 Comment

Wayne Moore on Commentators Concerns about LSC’s Performance Management Strategy

Posted on July 24, 2012 by richardzorza

This blog welcomes Wayne Moore’s thoughtful comments on the Comments submitted for LSC’s Draft Strategic Plan. Wayne’s comments show that the worries raised by commentators have not been borne out with respect to the similar prior Performance Criteria for Legal … Continue reading →

Posted in LSC, Metrics | Tagged | Comments Off on Wayne Moore on Commentators Concerns about LSC’s Performance Management Strategy

One Year of Blogging — Some Reflections on the Year in Access to Justice

Posted on December 11, 2011 by richardzorza

Today is the first anniversary of this blog.  306 posts, over 16,000 web views (and maybe the same number of subscriber push views), and counting.  Please celebrate with me by passing the word, and by encouraging folks to use the … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Budget Issues, Dept. of Justice, Funding, Legal Aid, LEP, LSC, Metrics, Research and Evalation, Supreme Court, Systematic Change, Technology, This Blog, Triage | 1 Comment

Article on Justice Index in National Law Journal

Posted on December 6, 2011 by richardzorza

David Udell and Cara Anna of the National Center for Access to Justice have an article in the National Law Journal on their proposed National Justice Index.  The core idea: Which states’ courts are in the worst condition? Which, despite … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget Issues, Court Management, Metrics, Research and Evalation, SRL Statistics | 1 Comment

NewsMaker Interview — Rebecca Sandefur on Her ABF Study of Access to Justice And Follow-Up

Posted on November 29, 2011 by richardzorza

Today’s NewsMaker Interview is with Rebecca Sandefur, one of the co-authors of the recent American Bar Foundation study of access to justice.  Becky has changed the whole debate, with a long-overdue collection of data that forces us to confront the … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Metrics, Newsmaker Interview, Research and Evalation | 1 Comment

Public Defender Versus Assigned Counsel, Implications for Mixed Model Advocacy

Posted on August 1, 2011 by richardzorza

Thomas Cohen, at the NIJ Bureau of Justice Statistics, has published an interesting study on who is most effective at criminal defense. Bottom line, from the abstract: Specifically, this paper examines whether there are differences between defense counsel type and … Continue reading →

Posted in Criminal Law, Metrics, Mixed Model, Research and Evalation, Systematic Change | 1 Comment

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