Category Archives: Self-Help Services

New Article on National Consensus about Access to Justice

Posted on February 24, 2011 by richardzorza

I thought folks might be interested in my new Judicature article, Access to Justice: The Emerging Consensus and Some Questions and Implications. It will be in the forthcoming Jan-Feb 2011 issue.  Thanks to Judicature, one of my favorite publications, for … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Legal Aid, Self-Help Services, Systematic Change, Unbundling | Tagged | 2 Comments

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

Implications for ATJ of IBM’s Watson’s Victory on Jeopardy

Posted on February 17, 2011 by richardzorza

Lots of coverage on IBM’s Watson’s victory on Jeopardy.  Does it mean we rethink the information/advice distinction? Much focus has been on the implications for medicine and for technical support.  (By the way, for techies interested in the configuration, here … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Ethics, Mobile Technology, Science, Self-Help Services, Technology | Tagged , | 3 Comments

LSC TIG Request for Letters of Intent

Posted on February 10, 2011 by richardzorza

The LSC TIG request for Letters of Intent is now out.  The Letters of Intent (LOI) are due Monday March 7, 2011.  This Wed Feb 16 webinar (update — now available here) on the process would be particularly helpful for … Continue reading →

Posted in Document Assembly, Forms, Funding, Law Schools, LEP, Libraries, Mobile Technology, Pro Bono, Self-Help Services, Technology | Tagged , | Comments Off on LSC TIG Request for Letters of Intent

SC ATJ Commission Self-Help Center Strategy — Low Cost Pilot and Guidelines

Posted on February 4, 2011 by richardzorza

The SC Access to Justice Commission has announced the approval by the Supreme Court of its soon-to-open pilot self-help center. I’d particularly draw attention to the strategy of having the pilot be a project of the Commission.  This helps bring … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Ethics, Self-Help Services | Tagged | Comments Off on SC ATJ Commission Self-Help Center Strategy — Low Cost Pilot and Guidelines

NYT Highlights Self-Represented in Foreclosures — Also Some Resources

Posted on February 3, 2011 by richardzorza

Front page of business section of today’s NYT:  Foreclosed Homeowners Go to Court on Their Own.  An important article that folks can use to advocate for a wide variety of services and programs.  Read it yourselves, but here are some … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreclosure, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on NYT Highlights Self-Represented in Foreclosures — Also Some Resources

SC ATJ Commission Experiments with Animation to Make FAQs Accessible

Posted on January 29, 2011 by richardzorza

Experimenter of the day award to Robin Wheeler at the SC ATJ Commission for experimenting with online animation to distribute self-help FAQs. Here is the link to their blog with the experimental animation. Here is a direct YouTube link.  Here … Continue reading →

Posted in Self-Help Services, Technology | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Important Webinar on Debt Collection and Arbitration Resources for Pro Se and Pro Bono Cases — And a Thought on Why Advocacy and Access are Important for the Health of the Economy

Posted on January 28, 2011 by richardzorza

Important online training on Debt Collection and Arbitration Resources for Pro Se and Pro Bono Cases. The listing explains it perfectly: Under a Technology Initiative Grant from LSC, Atlanta Legal Aid Society, in consultation with The National Consumer Law Center, … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Foreclosure, Pro Bono, Self-Help Services | 1 Comment

US Brief in Civil Gideon Child Support Contempt Case — Interesting Position

Posted on January 19, 2011 by richardzorza

The US Justice Department has filed an amicus brief in a civil Gideon case, albeit one dealing with a risk of incarceration, supporting reversal.  The case comes out of South Carolina, and involves one put in civil contempt for failing … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Access to Justice Generally, Forms, Judicial Ethics, Self-Help Services, Supreme Court | Tagged , | 2 Comments

New York Courts Document Assembly Innovations — Spanish Instructions and Court Awards

Posted on January 16, 2011 by richardzorza

The New York courts are implementing integrating Spanish instructions into their DIY document assembly program.  If users so choose, the online questions appear in Spanish as well as English  and the printed instructions to the litigants also appear in Spanish. … Continue reading →

Posted in Document Assembly, LEP, Self-Help Services, Technology | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Public Library Access to Justice News: Masachusetts Bookmarks

Posted on January 13, 2011 by richardzorza

Nice Report from Massachusetts on how they spent their tiny ($975) minigrant awarded after the Conference on Public Libraries and Access to Justice. “[Massachusetts] spent the  mini-grant on printing posters and bookmarks.  We distributed the bookmarks and posters to every … Continue reading →

Posted in Libraries, Self-Help Services | Tagged , | Comments Off on Public Library Access to Justice News: Masachusetts Bookmarks

Justice Corps News from Cook County — A Great Foreclosure Mediation Support Model

Posted on December 20, 2010 by richardzorza

As many of you know, I have been a big advocate of the Justice Corps Program, which uses AmeriCorps students to assist people in courts.  Los Angeles has piloted the concept with great success. Now comes news from Cook County … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreclosure, Self-Help Services | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Chicago Bar Foundation Has New Report on Legal Aid Including Brief Service Stats, and Citing Useful 2009 Report on Effectiveness of Self-Help Services

Posted on December 20, 2010 by richardzorza

The Chicago Bar Foundation has released a new Report, Legal Aid in Cook County A Report on Basic Trends in Need, Service and Funding. Lots of interesting stuff, but I want particularly to highlight these stats on the percentage of … Continue reading →

Posted in Funding, Legal Aid, Self-Help Services | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Foreclosure and Credit Cases — What is to be done?

Posted on December 15, 2010 by richardzorza

I find myself more and more embarrassed that those of us in the access to justice movement have not been able to figure out how to do more to help particularly the self-represented deal with these cases. see. e.g. New … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Foreclosure, Pro Bono, Self-Help Services | Tagged , | 3 Comments