Category Archives: Self-Help Services

Nolo Press Acquired by Internet Brands — Implications?

Posted on May 3, 2011 by richardzorza

Richard Granat has a worrying analysis of some recent news, the purchase by Internet Brands of Nolo (know to many of us as Nolo Press). Richard’s view in summary: It will be interesting to see how Internet Brands integrates these … Continue reading →

Posted in Document Assembly, Middle Income, Self-Help Services | Tagged | Comments Off on Nolo Press Acquired by Internet Brands — Implications?

Recidivism Versus Redemption: Risk of Re-Arrest Falls Over Time, To Less Than in Overall General Population

Posted on April 29, 2011 by richardzorza

Obviously, risk of rearrest is a huge issue in terms of the steps that are considered appropriate to keep those with criminal records integrated into society.  NTY has a piece on the relative lack of rationality of many of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Criminal Law, Research and Evalation, Self-Help Services | Tagged | Comments Off on Recidivism Versus Redemption: Risk of Re-Arrest Falls Over Time, To Less Than in Overall General Population

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

Finally Posted — Judges’ Journal Article on Self-Represented Cases: 15 Techniques for Saving Time in Tough Times

Posted on April 27, 2011 by richardzorza

This is long overdue, but I thought some of you might like to know that a list of ideas for how judges might respond to the increase in the numbers of self-represented, written by Judges Mark Juhas (of California), Maureen … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Judicial Ethics, Self-Help Services, Systematic Change | Comments Off on Finally Posted — Judges’ Journal Article on Self-Represented Cases: 15 Techniques for Saving Time in Tough Times

Leadership — Telling Bad News

Posted on April 24, 2011 by richardzorza

The Albany Times Union’s Capital Connection Blog has posted NY Chief Judge Lippman’s video to the court staff on the impact of the 6% cuts imposed in the recently finalized state budget. It’s really a model in terms of the … Continue reading →

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Pro Se Clerks in the Federal Courts — A Base for Self-Help Innovation

Posted on April 20, 2011 by richardzorza

The Third Branch, with official news from the Federal Courts, has an interesting piece on pro se clerks in the Federal system. The core point: the court staff put in place to deal with prisoner petitions are now working on … Continue reading →

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Learning and Fonts — Bigger And Easier is Maybe Not Better — Should We Really Make Websites Harder to Understand?

Posted on April 20, 2011 by richardzorza

Counter-intuitive research reported in the New York Times raises some questions about how we design self-help materials. A study to be published this year in the journal Psychological Science, led by Dr. Kornell, shows how strong this effect [The brain … Continue reading →

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

We Are Visitors in Litigants’ Lives — More on Medical Analagies

Posted on April 5, 2011 by richardzorza

I have to share an extract from Dr. Bach’s final NYT article about his wife’s cancer.  His reflections about how the experience of him and his wife, Ruth, with their cancer has changed his own behavior should challenge all of … Continue reading →

Posted in Libraries, Medical System Comparision, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on We Are Visitors in Litigants’ Lives — More on Medical Analagies

NewsMaker Interview: CJ Lippman on New York Foreclosure Settlement Representation Project

Posted on April 4, 2011 by richardzorza

This blog is proud to present our second NewsMaker Interview, which is with Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman of New York.  It focuses on the recently announced Foreclosure Settlement Representation Project.  C.J. Lippman has long been a national leader in access … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Budget Issues, Foreclosure, Legal Aid, Newsmaker Interview, Pro Bono, Self-Help Services | Tagged , | Comments Off on NewsMaker Interview: CJ Lippman on New York Foreclosure Settlement Representation Project

Reflective Response on Thinking About Client’s Feelings — Suggestions for Progrms and Funders to Address Issues

Posted on March 31, 2011 by richardzorza

I am posting a response (with permission to do so without attribution) to the recent blog about thinking about litigants’ emotions. Thanks for raising this. I think that a lot of a lawyer’s inability to deal with emotions starts in … Continue reading →

Posted in Judicial Ethics, Law Schools, Legal Aid, Medical System Comparision, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on Reflective Response on Thinking About Client’s Feelings — Suggestions for Progrms and Funders to Address Issues

Beautiful NYT article by Doctor on Thinking About Patient Experience — Lessons for Lawyers, Court Staff and Judges

Posted on March 29, 2011 by richardzorza

Peter Bach, MD, in the NYT today, writes about how, as a cancer doctor married to a woman who gets breast cancer, he sits next to her as her doctor does just what he has done so many times before, … Continue reading →

Posted in Judicial Ethics, Medical System Comparision, Self-Help Services | 1 Comment

Supreme Court Argument in Civil Gideon/Civil Contempt Case – Sufficiency of SRL Procedures Addressed in SC for First Time

Posted on March 23, 2011 by richardzorza

This may become very important. You can read the full transcript of today’s (March 23, 2011) oral argument on whether there is a right to counsel for those facing contempt incarceration for nonpayment of child support. It is fascinating, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Access to Justice Generally, Judicial Ethics, Self-Help Services, Supreme Court, Systematic Change | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Missouri Supreme Court Judge’s Tool Kit on Pro Bono — Perspectives on Court Use of Pro Bono

Posted on March 16, 2011 by richardzorza

A useful tool and model on pro bono for judges from the Missouri Supreme Court. Here is an introductory letter from a Judge on the Court, Mary R. Russell, together with the Toolkit Topics include: A summary of the research … Continue reading →

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California Judicial Developments

Posted on March 15, 2011 by richardzorza

It’s hard for me to estimate the likely long term impact of the unhappiness among some California judges, as reported here in the LA Times. At issue is whether the court system should continue to be run centrally by the … Continue reading →

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“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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