Category Archives: Self-Help Services

A Different Approach to Integrating Litigant Services and Security Screening

Posted on June 16, 2015 by richardzorza

This from Mental Floss on a better way to security screen — in this case in airports: Since 2007, the TSA has been pouring $200 million a year into agents trained to spot suspicious behavior in passengers. The program, called … Continue reading →

Posted in Security, Self-Help Services | 1 Comment

Noting the Range and Significance of NSF Research Grants into Access to Justice

Posted on June 13, 2015 by richardzorza

Regular readers of this blog will not have been able to avoid the drumbeat of attention to the importance and potential of DOJ’s bringing NSF to the access to justice table.  But, I have not as yet explicitly listed or … Continue reading →

Posted in Dept. of Justice, Judicial Ethics, Plain Language, Research and Evalation, Self-Help Services, Triage, Usabilty | Comments Off on Noting the Range and Significance of NSF Research Grants into Access to Justice

How State-Wide Groups Might Help Deal With The “Ferguson Chasm”

Posted on May 29, 2015 by richardzorza

Here are some suggestions for how ATJ Commissions and other statewide groups (or those just advocating) might move forward on addressing the “Ferguson Chasm” — the gap between communities and the entire legal system, epitomized by Ferguson using the court … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Chasm with Communities, Child Support, Court Fees and Costs, Policing, Self-Help Services, Simplification | Comments Off on How State-Wide Groups Might Help Deal With The “Ferguson Chasm”

DOJ ATJ Initiative Director Lisa Foster Keynotes at Equal Justice Conference

Posted on May 8, 2015 by richardzorza

As Department of Justice Access to to Justice Director Foster pointed out at her keynote at the Equal Justice Conference, yesterday (see below for full text), there have been sixteen of these Conferences.  What she did not point out was … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Fees and Costs, Criminal Law, Dept. of Justice, Funding, Research and Evalation, Self-Help Services, Systematic Change | Comments Off on DOJ ATJ Initiative Director Lisa Foster Keynotes at Equal Justice Conference

Illinois “Safe Habor” Policy for SRL assistance Moves the Ball Foward

Posted on April 25, 2015 by richardzorza

There has long been debate about whether listing what self-represented litigant assistance policies are permitted when performed by court staff is useful or harmful.  The argument for listing them is that it makes it much easier for staff to perform … Continue reading →

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

Joking About Clients — Understandable and Maybe Helpful — But There’s a Test About When It’s OK

Posted on April 18, 2015 by richardzorza

There is a provocative, but also disturbing article in the Washington Post that all who serve others, including lawyers and court and self-help staff, might want to think about.  It is titled, Nurses make fun of their dying patients. That’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Ethics, Medical System Comparision, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on Joking About Clients — Understandable and Maybe Helpful — But There’s a Test About When It’s OK

Tomorrow, Fri Feb 27, is Early Registration Deadline for EJC, Scheduled Just After SRL Pre-Conference

Posted on February 26, 2015 by richardzorza

Tomorrow, Friday February 27 is the early registration deadline for the EJC Conference in Austin this May.  The SRL Pre-Conference is May 6,  and the SRL Pre-Conference May 7-9.  In addition to a full day of information, engagement, and networking … Continue reading →

Posted in Meetings, Self-Help Services | 2 Comments

Nonlawyer Courtroom Navigator Follow-Up — Initial NY Report shows Value and Impact

Posted on February 25, 2015 by richardzorza

Now we can read the full Navigator Report that led NY Chief Justice Lippman to report on the success of the Project and to announce his plan to propose to the legislature “legislation this year that calls for a further … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Self-Help Services, State of Judiciary Speeches | 3 Comments

Child Support Proposals in the President’s Budget Would Support Research Into Innovative Approaches

Posted on February 6, 2015 by richardzorza

Mark Greenberg, Acting Assistant Secretary, Administration for Children and Families has this to say in summarizing the budget proposals on child support: For the Child Support Program, we are renewing a number of prior proposals for efforts to ensure that … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Support, Funding, Research and Evalation, Self-Help Services | 1 Comment

Could Volvo’s No Death Goal Show The Way for Access to Justice Innovation

Posted on February 1, 2015 by richardzorza

I recently discovered that Volvo Cars has set a zero death goal for its new cars by 2020. “Our vision is that no one is killed or injured in a new Volvo by 2020,” the chief of governmental affairs is … Continue reading →

Posted in Self-Help Services, Systematic Change | 4 Comments

Analysis of Proposed Regs on HHS IV-D Child Support Money — Comments Due Jan 16 — Opportunity to Help Finance Self-Help Infrastructure

Posted on January 7, 2015 by richardzorza

I have long been urging states to take advantage of the IV-D program, which through uncapped matching, triples state investment in child support activities, to help finance self-help services.  Several states such as California do so, and California has used … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Child Support, Court Management, Funding, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on Analysis of Proposed Regs on HHS IV-D Child Support Money — Comments Due Jan 16 — Opportunity to Help Finance Self-Help Infrastructure

Illinois LegalAidOnline Shows Gives Wonderful Example of Online Fundraising

Posted on December 18, 2014 by richardzorza

Like all of us, I get many online fundraising pitches.  And I get occasional requests to use this blog for fundraising.  I almost never do.  But this graphic, from Illinois LegalAidOnline is so wonderful as a model that I can … Continue reading →

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

Webinar on IV-D Funding for Self-Help Services — How to TRIPLE Your Money

Posted on December 11, 2014 by richardzorza

Awareness is slowly growing that Federal IV-D  funding has the potential to triple state investments in child support and related activities.  Obviously this funding stream, which is not capped, has the potential to help states build out a very significant … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Support, Funding, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on Webinar on IV-D Funding for Self-Help Services — How to TRIPLE Your Money

Preparing for DAPA: A New Self-Help Need for Court and Community-Based Legal Aid

Posted on December 4, 2014 by richardzorza

The State Justice Institute has just distributed a memo on likely ways that the President’s Delayed Action for Parental Accountability program will result in requests for help to state courts.  The nub of the memo is here: The requirements for … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Court Management, Immigration, Legal Aid, Self-Help Services | 1 Comment

Some Observations on the Newly Updated Justice Index

Posted on November 27, 2014 by richardzorza

The National Center for Access to Justice recently put in place a number of corrections offered by 21 states to the Justice Index, so its time to take a look and see what we learn. The most important point is … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Access to Justice Generally, Forms, Justice Index, Legal Aid, LEP, Plain Language, Self-Help Services | Comments Off on Some Observations on the Newly Updated Justice Index