Category Archives: Self-Help Services

Innovation Ideas Based on SJI Priority Investment Areas

Posted on December 9, 2011 by richardzorza

A few days ago I blogged on the excellent new State Justice Institute Priority Investment Areas, which now guides much of SJI’s grantmaking. Today I am going to make some suggestions for innovative possible projects in each of those areas, … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Document Assembly, Funding, Judicial Ethics, Law Schools, LEP, Self-Help Services | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Innovation Ideas Based on SJI Priority Investment Areas

A shift in Empahsis About Access Demonstrated by Retired Chief Justice Marshall of Massachusetts

Posted on December 5, 2011 by richardzorza

The retired Massachusetts Chief, in a Boston Globe op-ed, urging contributions to legal aid programs, shows an interesting shift in emphasis in terms of how we think about the access system.  It’s caught in these two paras: While judges and … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Funding, Legal Aid, Legal Ethics, Self-Help Services, Systematic Change | Comments Off on A shift in Empahsis About Access Demonstrated by Retired Chief Justice Marshall of Massachusetts

Non-Lawyer Assistance in the Courtroom — the UK Model

Posted on December 2, 2011 by richardzorza

Most of us in the US are unaware of a fascinating approach that the UK (and indeed most Commonwealth countries) use to assist in access to justice for those without lawyers.  It is an approach that permits non-lawyers to sit … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Judicial Ethics, Self-Help Services | Tagged | 5 Comments

Wayne Moore Makes Suggestions for Legal Aid on “How to Cut Costs Without Cutting Services”

Posted on December 2, 2011 by richardzorza

Wayne Moore has responded to the legal aid budget crisis with this insightful and intensely practical memo on how legal aid programs can protect service delivery in a tough time.  I urge all, including those who have been somewhat critical … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Budget Issues, Document Assembly, Legal Aid, LSC, Pro Bono, Self-Help Services, Systematic Change, Technology, Unbundling | Comments Off on Wayne Moore Makes Suggestions for Legal Aid on “How to Cut Costs Without Cutting Services”

SJI Announces Priority Areas

Posted on December 1, 2011 by richardzorza

Important news for innovation.  SJI has just (yesterday) announced their new priority areas.  I think most us will be both pleased and impressed.  Here is the list, now on their website, as well as in E-SJINews. Priority Investment Areas On … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, LEP, Self-Help Services, Systematic Change | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Maximizing the Impact of Turner v. Rogers — Judges’ Journal Article on Courtroom Best Practices

Posted on November 30, 2011 by richardzorza

My article A NEW DAY FOR JUDGES AND THE SELF-REPRESENTED The Implications of Turner v. Rogers, has just been published in the Judges’ Journal. I very much hope that it will be helpful in freeing judges to take engaged and neutral … Continue reading →

Posted in Judicial Ethics, Self-Help Services, Supreme Court | 1 Comment

Civil Justice Council of England and Wales Report and Recommendations on Self-Represented Litigants

Posted on November 12, 2011 by richardzorza

As reported by Richard Moorhead, the Civil Justice Council has issued its report on how to respond to the increase in self-represented litigants expected in England and Wales as a result of the massive legal aid cutbacks. The recommendations, as … Continue reading →

Posted in International Models, Self-Help Services | Tagged | 2 Comments

Distribution of, and Increase of, Self-Represented Bankruptcy Filings

Posted on November 3, 2011 by richardzorza

The Third Branch — the blog of the Federal Courts, has published some statistics on where their self-represented bankruptcy filings are occurring. Here is the key table: The filings are heavily distributed towards the West: It is an astonishing range, … Continue reading →

Posted in Research and Evalation, Self-Help Services, SRL Statistics | Comments Off on Distribution of, and Increase of, Self-Represented Bankruptcy Filings

Finally Some Real National Access Data — ABF Releases Mapping Study

Posted on October 24, 2011 by richardzorza

This is a big step in understanding our system.  The American Bar Foundation has released its ACCESS ACROSS AMERICA: FIRST REPORT OF THE CIVIL JUSTICE INFRASTRUCTURE MAPPING PROJECT.  Executive Summary here.  Full text here. The study maps, for all the … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Legal Aid, Research and Evalation, Self-Help Services, SRL Statistics, Transparency, Unbundling | Tagged , | 4 Comments

National Call on Justice Corps Leads the Way for Possible Multi-State Application

Posted on October 24, 2011 by richardzorza

Last Thursday, the promised national call on Justice Corps took place. Eleven states were there, interested in leveraging California’s brilliant idea and the Corporation for National and Community Service’s vision of students working for service and change into a national … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Funding, Pro Bono, Self-Help Services | Tagged | 2 Comments

Maryland Joins States with Statewide Self-Help Services by Technology

Posted on October 19, 2011 by richardzorza

Congratulations Maryland.  District Court users statewide can now get statewide self-help services by internet chat or phone, as reported by the Baltimore Sun. In its first month of hosting live chats, 850 people have used the service. In comparison, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Self-Help Services, Technology | Tagged | Comments Off on Maryland Joins States with Statewide Self-Help Services by Technology

Conference Call on Spreading the Justice Corps Model Concept

Posted on October 13, 2011 by richardzorza

As you know, I am a huge advocate of the Justice Corps model.  The core idea is to bring college students into the access to justice movement through the AmeriCorps model. I think it can be really transformative. On October … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Pro Bono, Self-Help Services | Tagged , | 1 Comment

ABA Journal Discusses Electronic Service/Notice and the Self-Represented

Posted on October 5, 2011 by richardzorza

An important article in the ABA Journal discusses the potential for electronic service and notice.  Read the whole thing. In the article, Glenn Rawdon of LSC is quoted laying down the issues for the poor and self-represented very clearly. If … Continue reading →

Posted in Mobile Technology, Self-Help Services, Technology | Tagged | 2 Comments

Illiinois LegalAid Online Launches iPhone App

Posted on September 30, 2011 by richardzorza

No surprise here, Illinois LegalAid Online remains in the forefront with their iPhone App, downloadable here. The description is as follows: A field guide to Illinois law. Made for non-lawyers. Get easy to understand legal tools for issues like divorce, … Continue reading →

Posted in Mobile Technology, Self-Help Services, Technology | Tagged | 4 Comments

California Courts Seek Comment on Draft Principles on Technology and Access to Justice

Posted on September 20, 2011 by richardzorza

In an important development for the interaction of technology and access to justice, the California Court system is developing a document titled: Advancing Access to Justice Through Technology: Principles for Judicial Branch Initiatives.  It is intended for ultimate approval by … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Self-Help Services, Systematic Change, Technology | Comments Off on California Courts Seek Comment on Draft Principles on Technology and Access to Justice