Category Archives: Technology

Legal Aid HackathonShows the Coming Change in Access to Justice Culture is Enormous

Posted on January 14, 2017 by richardzorza

I love it. Before the TIG conference, there was a legal aid Hackathon.  Here is the presentation that summarized it.  Astonishing. This slide is my own favorite, and self-explanatory. Other projects included a write clearly tool, a legal check-up tool, … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Legal Aid, LSC, SRL Statistics, Technology | 2 Comments

New HHS Rules Effective Jan 19, 2017 Include Very Good News About the Scope of Federal Reimbursement for Paternity and Child Support Establishment Expenditures For Self Help and Educational Services

Posted on December 20, 2016 by richardzorza

As I hope most of you know, two thirds of eligible state costs incurred for the establishment and enforcement of child support obligations are reimbursable by HHS.  There is no cap on the total amount, but expenditures must be pursuant … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Support, Court Management, Funding, Self-Help Services, SRLN, Technology | 1 Comment

New York Times Highlights Access to Justice, the Self-Represented, Technology and LawHelp Interactive

Posted on December 14, 2016 by richardzorza

In a recent Year of Big Ideas in Social Change piece, the Times highlights almost the full area of what we all do: Another example [of using tech to democratize] is civil legal aid. Even though people involved in civil … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Boards, Court Management, Document Assembly, expungement, Forms, Legal Aid, Technology | Comments Off on New York Times Highlights Access to Justice, the Self-Represented, Technology and LawHelp Interactive

Please Follow the Lead of Our Retirement Community Network and Spread the Access to Justice Immigration Tool

Posted on December 12, 2016 by richardzorza

I am so proud of our retirement community network, Kendal, and hope that other community networks of all kinds will follow. In response to the urging that we should make sure that our communities should help any of our staff … Continue reading →

Posted in Immigration, Technology | Comments Off on Please Follow the Lead of Our Retirement Community Network and Spread the Access to Justice Immigration Tool

Timely and Powerful New Immigration Planning and Action Tool

Posted on December 8, 2016 by richardzorza

The Immigration Action Network and Pro Bono Net have just launched a major new online tool to help those facing immigration issues.  It is obviously overwhelmingly timely, as people we know, who working with us, or provide services to us … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Immigration, Self-Help Services, Technology | 1 Comment

LSC TIG Conference, the Website Assessment and Portals

Posted on November 26, 2016 by richardzorza

LSC has announced its January 2017 TIG Conference. The draft agenda is here. While there is much of great interest, I would just like to point out that one very good reason for many, including particularly those involved in websites … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Access to Justice Generally, LSC, Self-Help Services, Technology | Comments Off on LSC TIG Conference, the Website Assessment and Portals

LSC Releases RFP for Portal Project

Posted on November 23, 2016 by richardzorza

This may be a historic month for 100% access to justice. LSC has now released the RFP, with proposals due Jan 19, for the portal project.  After some extracts, I offer below some thoughts that may be helpful. I think … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Access to Justice Boards, Access to Justice Generally, Bar Associations, Funding, Litigant Voice, Medical System Comparision, Metrics, Planning, Remote Services, Research and Evalation, Technology, Triage | 3 Comments

DOJ and FTC Weigh In on Exempting Websites from the Practice of Law

Posted on November 4, 2016 by richardzorza

On June 16 of this year, North Carolina passed a law creating a limited carve-out from the definition of the practice of law for websites that met certain requirements.  The bill is here.  There has been robust critique of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Business Structures, Anti-Trust, Bar Associations, De-Regulation, Dept. of Justice, Document Assembly, Federal Agencies, Forms, Non-Lawyer Practice, Plain Language, Rules Reform, Technology | Comments Off on DOJ and FTC Weigh In on Exempting Websites from the Practice of Law

Important Research on Benefits of Plain Language Court Orders And Translation

Posted on November 4, 2016 by richardzorza

This research, funded under the LSC TIG program through a grant to TRLA, conducted in Austin, Texas, by NPC Research on the impact of plain language and translated court documents could be very helpful indeed. (Disclosure: I have been involved … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Forms, LEP, LSC, Outcome Measures, Plain Language, Self-Help Services, Technology | 2 Comments

Serving Self-Represented Litigants Remotely A Resource Guide Is a Must Read

Posted on September 23, 2016 by richardzorza

Serving Self-Represented Litigants Remotely A Resource Guide, prepared by a team led by John Greacen and including SRLN members from across the country, has just been published by SRLN.  It is a “Must Read,” to use a much over-used word.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Budget Issues, Court Management, Forms, Metrics, Remote Services, Research and Evalation, Self-Help Services, SRLN, Systematic Change, Technology, Triage | Comments Off on Serving Self-Represented Litigants Remotely A Resource Guide Is a Must Read

Article on Incentives in Access to Justice

Posted on September 12, 2016 by richardzorza

My paper on incentives in access to justice has now been published in the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics.  Here it is. Here is the full text of the abstract: Most of the current deregulation discussion focuses on permitting both … Continue reading →

Posted in ABA, Access to Counsel, Alternative Business Structures, Anti-Trust, Bar Associations, Medical System Comparision, Middle Income, Mixed Model, Non-Lawyer Practice, Outcome Measures, Planning, Political Support, Poverty, Pro Bono, Referral Systems, Research and Evalation, Rules Reform, Self-Help Services, Simplification, Systematic Change, Tax Policy, Technology | Comments Off on Article on Incentives in Access to Justice

Table Comparing Three New Different ATJ Sets of Recommendations Should Help Move Collaboration Forward

Posted on September 3, 2016 by richardzorza

It is quite amazing that within a few weeks we have had three major sets of specific recommendations for national access to justice strategies come out.  They are, in order of appearance, the Guidance for NCSC Grants for Strategic Planning … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, ABA, Access to Justice Generally, Court Management, Rules Reform, Simplification, Systematic Change, Technology, Triage | Comments Off on Table Comparing Three New Different ATJ Sets of Recommendations Should Help Move Collaboration Forward

Integrating the ABA Futures Report and the Justice For All Components

Posted on August 14, 2016 by richardzorza

Its finally here, the ABA Future of Legal Services Report. As expected, it covers a lot of ground, and is a lot to read. As an aid to speedy integration into other projects, I have prepared this table that compares … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, ABA, Access to Counsel, Access to Justice Generally, Alternative Business Structures, Attorney-Client, Bar Associations, Court Fees and Costs, Court Management, Document Assembly, E-filing, Incnetives, Law Schools, Legal Aid, Legal Ethics, LEP, Mediation, Middle Income, Mixed Model, Non-Lawyer Practice, Outcome Measures, Plain Language, Planning, Referral Systems, Research and Evalation, Rules Reform, Self-Help Services, Simplification, Systematic Change, Technology, Transparency, Triage, Unbundling | 2 Comments

With Nate Silver’s Election Prediction Launch a Couple of Days Ago, Its a Good Time to Think About Statistics, Predictions, Triage, and Education for Public Policy

Posted on July 5, 2016 by richardzorza

Nate’s 2016 polls-only prediction is that Clinton has an 77.6% chance of winning. For those of us who talk about how triage is critical, his methodology page is well worth some attention. It is highly sophisticated, and reminds us just … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget Issues, Funding, Medical System Comparision, Metrics, Outcome Measures, Public Education, Research and Evalation, Series: Outcome Measures, Systematic Change, Technology, Transparency, Triage | 1 Comment

Great NYT Online Piece on “Legal Aid With A Digital Twist” Features Claudia Johnson, Law Help Interactive, and Others

Posted on June 1, 2016 by richardzorza

At last, the media is staring to “get” that legal aid is not just traditional advocacy. The Time’s Fixes has a piece on digital expungment, ATJ hackathons, our guest blogger Claudia Johnson, Law Help Interactive and more. The rise of … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Consumer Rights, expungement, Foreclosure, Forms, Self-Help Services, Technology | Comments Off on Great NYT Online Piece on “Legal Aid With A Digital Twist” Features Claudia Johnson, Law Help Interactive, and Others