Category Archives: Research and Evalation

Canadian SRL Project Sponsors Dialog Event — A Model for Us all

Posted on May 22, 2013 by richardzorza

What a great idea. As Julie MacFarlane blogs about the follow up to her Canadian SRL Report: 60 people gathered in Windsor to discuss the research report – 15 of them SRL’s from the study. The other 45 guests included … Continue reading →

Posted in International Models, Research and Evalation, Self-Help Services | Tagged | 1 Comment

Important New Canadian Report Highlights Challenges Facing the Self-Represented and Innovation and Research Lessons for the US

Posted on May 21, 2013 by richardzorza

An important new report, The National Self-Represented Litigants Project: Identifying and Meeting the Needs of Self-Represented Litigants, by Dr. Julie MacFarlane, supported by grants from the Law Foundation of Ontario, the Law Foundation of Alberta, and the Law Foundation of … Continue reading →

Posted in International Models, Research and Evalation, Self-Help Services | Tagged | 6 Comments

Time for An Overall Evaluation of the ATJ Commission Network?

Posted on May 9, 2013 by richardzorza

Its now 20 years since Washington State launched the first Access to Justice Commission (actually they called it a Board). The Commissions Network now covers over half the states, continues to expand, and is recognized as at the core of … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Research and Evalation | 3 Comments

Paul Krugman Nails the “Excel Depression” — And Reminds Us of the Risks of Errors When You Rely on Data

Posted on April 21, 2013 by richardzorza

Paul Krugman has a brilliant and sobering column on what he calls the Excel Depression. Core idea.  The austerity policies adopted worldwide were driven by academic work about the benefits of such policies. But: Finally, Ms. Reinhart and Mr. Rogoff … Continue reading →

Posted in Research and Evalation, Technology | 2 Comments

Report on Colorado Simplified Process Rule Option

Posted on March 29, 2013 by richardzorza

In 2004 Colorado put in place statewide a Rule 6.1 permitting the parties to use a simplified trial process in certain relatively low-stake cases. A report on this experiment is now available here, and it is reported on in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Research and Evalation, Simplification | Comments Off on Report on Colorado Simplified Process Rule Option

Important Letter From NSF on Interest in Acces to Justice

Posted on March 23, 2013 by richardzorza

NSF has issued an important “dear colleague” letter “Stimulating Research Related to the Use and Functioning of the Civil Justice System” on the agency’s continuing interest in access-type research.  While this is not a new solicitation, the letter makes clear … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, Research and Evalation | 5 Comments

Good News Spreads More on Social Media — Implications for Outreach

Posted on March 20, 2013 by richardzorza

A fascinating story in the New York Times reports that while it s generally thought that bad news is more popular in traditional media, “if it bleeds, it leads,” the opposite is the case in social media.  The finding is … Continue reading →

Posted in Research and Evalation, Science, Social Media, Technology | 3 Comments

Randomized Studies Gain an Ally

Posted on March 19, 2013 by richardzorza

We do not usually track electoral politics on this blog, except when it directly impacts access to justice.  But this piece from Politico is irresistible in its description, by a Republican consultant, of how the Democrats used the scientific method … Continue reading →

Posted in Research and Evalation, Systematic Change, Technology | 2 Comments

Huge Flash Memory to Speed Big Data Analysis

Posted on March 4, 2013 by richardzorza

According to the NYT Bits Blog, a new 1.4 terabyte flash memory card has the potential to democratize access to “big data” analysis.  The card, now costing only $4,000, and likely to be heavily discounted, is supposedly 25,000 times faster … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Research and Evalation, Technology, Triage | 1 Comment

NYT Blog on Outcome Measurement in Health Care

Posted on February 1, 2013 by richardzorza

The New York Times Economix blog has an interesting post on outcome measurement. The writer rebuts the skepticism among readers about the viability of quality measurement — including an aside about the justice area: These readers appear to harbor genuine … Continue reading →

Posted in Medical System Comparision, Outcome Measures, Research and Evalation | 2 Comments

Jim Greiner Asks For Help with SRL Courtroom Scripts

Posted on January 12, 2013 by richardzorza

Harvard’s Jim Greiner, randomized study guru, asks for help identifying model self-represented litigant courtroom scripts. Specifically, he is working on a project in which litigants would be given written scripts that they could use orally in court to help them … Continue reading →

Posted in Judicial Ethics, Research and Evalation, Self-Help Services | 4 Comments

Boston Globe Does “Ideas” Piece on Randomized Studies of Legal Aid

Posted on December 23, 2012 by richardzorza

The Boston Globe has just run a valuable and sensible piece on the Greiner et al randomized studies.  The headline sums it up:  Free legal advice—but does it work?. The article will be very helpful in showing the value of … Continue reading →

Posted in Outcome Measures, Research and Evalation, Systematic Change | 2 Comments

Some Thoughts on the Recent Access to Justice Research Agenda Meeting

Posted on December 20, 2012 by richardzorza

As expected, the meeting held December 7 and 8 on establishing a research agenda in access to justice was exciting and productive.  There were about 40 people there, half researcher and half practitioners from courts and legal.  The meetings on … Continue reading →

Posted in Meetings, Research and Evalation | 2 Comments

Use of Algorithms to Assess Accuracy of Tweets — Implications

Posted on December 15, 2012 by richardzorza

A very timely article in Slate discusses the use of algorithms to assess the accuracy of tweets.  The immediate use is with the idea of helping law enforcement filter out the false from the accurate in rapidly developing situations.  The … Continue reading →

Posted in Outcome Measures, Research and Evalation, SRL Statistics | 1 Comment

On Linking Practice and Innovation

Posted on December 14, 2012 by richardzorza

Today’s New York Times has an interesting article on the advantages of co-locating research and production: [E]xperts say that in industries that produce complex, high-technology products — things like bioengineered tissues, not light bulbs — companies that keep their research … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Research and Evalation | Comments Off on On Linking Practice and Innovation