Category Archives: Research and Evalation

Do We Have Too High a Tolerance for Error in the Justice System?

Posted on April 8, 2011 by richardzorza

One plane pops a hole, no one is seriously hurt, and, as there should be, there’s saturation media coverage, immediate inspections of a portion of the fleet, and deep soul searching about our preventive systems. But DNA exonerations suggest that … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Domestic Violence, Research and Evalation, Systematic Change, Technology | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Computer Analysis of Politicians Press Releases — A Model for Court Transcipt Analysis?

Posted on April 7, 2011 by richardzorza

A recent Harvard study, reported in the Washington Post, used computer analysis tools to deconstruct how Senators used their press releases.  In addition to the categories of use they were expecting, they found something they were not;  the researcher, Prof … Continue reading →

Posted in Research and Evalation, Science, Systematic Change | Comments Off on Computer Analysis of Politicians Press Releases — A Model for Court Transcipt Analysis?

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

Online Symposium on the Greiner/Pattanayak Paper on Impact of Offers of Representation

Posted on March 28, 2011 by richardzorza

Many of you will recall the intense interest that the recent pre-publication attention to the Greiner/Pattanayak Paper on Impact of Offers of Representation has triggered.  Here is an interview with Jim Gereiner on this blog.  The paper will be in … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Research and Evalation, Triage | Comments Off on Online Symposium on the Greiner/Pattanayak Paper on Impact of Offers of Representation

Impact on Outcomes of Participation by Interns/Residents in Surgery — Thinking About Students in Access Services

Posted on March 25, 2011 by richardzorza

Fascinating NYT piece about research into whether having doctors in training — interns or residents — participate in surgery impacts outcomes.  This is a big study and the results paint just the kind of complicated picture that gets you thinking. … Continue reading →

Posted in Law Schools, Medical System Comparision, Pro Bono, Research and Evalation | Tagged | 1 Comment

Risks and Consequences — Implications for Access Advocacy

Posted on March 14, 2011 by richardzorza

With all eyes fixed on Japan, it seems like a good time to reflect on risks and consequences.  (Actually, its hard for me to think about anything else, and it is fascinating how much traffic to this blog has dropped … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Domestic Violence, Foreclosure, Research and Evalation, This Blog | Tagged | 1 Comment

“The Happynomics of Life” — Measuring Broadest Impact of Access to Justice

Posted on March 13, 2011 by richardzorza

Read Roger Cohen in Sunday’s NY Times on the The Happynomics of Life. He looks at the recent initiative in the UK to develop a measure of happiness of the public.   The  idea has been much derided as at attempt … Continue reading →

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Foreclosure Counselling — Financial Value — Model for Statistical Analysis

Posted on March 9, 2011 by richardzorza

The Urban Institute has completed a study of the financial value of foreclosure counselling, in this case provided by NeighborWorks America The NFMC [National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling] program recognizes three distinct levels of counseling services. In Level 1 counseling, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreclosure, Research and Evalation | 1 Comment

Quantitiative Boot Camp on Access to Justice?

Posted on March 6, 2011 by richardzorza

The recent post on the law professor’s quantitative boot camp got me thinking about the need for something similar for access to justice professionals. (see the mention in my post introducing the Empirical Legal Studies Blog. We need to find … Continue reading →

Posted in Law Schools, Research and Evalation | Comments Off on Quantitiative Boot Camp on Access to Justice?

UK Considers Possible Negative Impact on Court Operations of Legal Aid Cuts. Discussion of “Polluter Pays”

Posted on March 5, 2011 by richardzorza

As you may know, UK legal aid is facing massive budget cuts.  Since even the civil system is an entitlement one (in dramatic contrast to the US), the means the new government (Conservative and Liberal Democratic, both took more than … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget Issues, Funding, Research and Evalation | Tagged | Comments Off on UK Considers Possible Negative Impact on Court Operations of Legal Aid Cuts. Discussion of “Polluter Pays”

NYT Blog — “When the Dr.’s Wife Has Cancer” — Reflections on Empathy

Posted on February 23, 2011 by richardzorza

I recommend “When the Doctor.’s Wife Has Cancer” (NYT Feb 22, 2011).  It is about the different experience of being a patient (or here a patient relative), compared to working at the institution. Key para: “I was hyperaware of my … Continue reading →

Posted in Research and Evalation, Self-Help Services | Tagged , | Comments Off on NYT Blog — “When the Dr.’s Wife Has Cancer” — Reflections on Empathy

Empirical Legal Studies Blog

Posted on February 21, 2011 by richardzorza

Thought that a quiet day (President’s day) might be a good time to tell folks about the Empirical Legal Studies Blog Authors include Carolyn Shapiro at Chicago Kent, Christopher Zorn at Penn State, David Stras at Univ of Minn, Dawn … Continue reading →

Posted in Law Schools, Meetings, Research and Evalation | Tagged | 1 Comment

Project Gets Pro Bono Award for Website with Full Records of Actual Innocnce Cases

Posted on February 14, 2011 by richardzorza

The law firm of Winston & Strawn recently got the Law Technology News (LTN) Award for the Most Innovative Use of Technology in a Pro Bono Project. for its web project, InnocencRecord.org, which works with the Innocence Project to post … Continue reading →

Posted in Pro Bono, Research and Evalation, Science, Technology | Tagged , | Comments Off on Project Gets Pro Bono Award for Website with Full Records of Actual Innocnce Cases

Whose Fault When Something Goes Wrong — Blaming the User/Litigant is the Road to Stasis

Posted on February 12, 2011 by richardzorza

When something goes wrong, there’s a strong instinct to blame the litigant, the client, the website user.  A recent example is this CNN story on unintended acceleration. (Its written in term of being the drivers fault). An old friend once … Continue reading →

Posted in Research and Evalation, Technology | Comments Off on Whose Fault When Something Goes Wrong — Blaming the User/Litigant is the Road to Stasis

Please Take a Good Look at Richard Moorhead’s UK LawyerWatch Blog

Posted on January 30, 2011 by richardzorza

For anyone interested in UK access to justice perspectives and research, I strongly recommend Richard Moorhead’s LawyerWatch. Richard is at the University of Cardiff, and one of the most highly respected researchers in UK in access to justice. Here are … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Ethics, Research and Evalation | Tagged | Comments Off on Please Take a Good Look at Richard Moorhead’s UK LawyerWatch Blog