Statewide
Planning Initiative Work Groups
Work
Group 2B Assisting Self-Represented Litigants
Work
Group 2B
- Final Work Group Report
Work
Group 2B Issue List*
The
law and process are complicated and not easily understood. How do we make the
current system more accessible and user-friendly and remove barriers that, for
some, appear insurmountable?
In
a judicial system that is designed to function best when each party is
represented, how do we assure access to justice for self-represented litigants
in the administrative hearing process and throughout all levels of the Maine
Court system?
Examples
of issues to be considered include:
-
Training and support regarding issues affecting low/moderate income people;
-
Plain language forms etc.
-
Intake, advice, information and referral systems, consolidated statewide
intake
-
Web-based legal information, online forms, video conferencing and other
technology innovations
-
The role of Court clerks and state agency staff
-
Court assistance offices or self-help centers to provide support for
self-represented litigants
-
Specific impediments faced by those with limited phone access or
transportation, language diversity, distance or disability barriers
-
Education and training to overcome bias and inequities and show value of each
individual, rapport and capacity building within diverse communities to reduce
barriers
-
Education on so many levels internet, audio, video,
churches/temples/mosques youths and seniors
-
Take justice out to the people in their own environments
-
Mandated continuing education on diversity issues
-
Educate self-represented litigants about what to expect regarding services,
what they can gain, problems they will face, etc.
-
Put resources into ombudsman, mediation and arbitration, expanded ADR with a
focus to accommodate the interests of low-income Mainers
-
Increased utilization of properly trained, educated and supervised non-lawyer
participation
-
Expand small claims court model
-
Best practices for state and local administrative agencies, analysis and
report on state agency procedures
-
New roles for lay advocates in the court system, increased utilization of
properly trained, educated and supervised non-lawyer participation, volunteer
screeners at courthouses
-
Eliminating rules of evidence in non-jury trials involving self-represented
litigants
*These
issues will be split between Work Group 2A and 2B.
Information/Resources
ABA
Coalition for Justice Survey Summaries - The American Bar Association's
Coalition for Justice supports justice system reform at the state and local
levels and urges that such efforts involve the community along with judges and
lawyers. The Coalition thus conducts surveys of state supreme courts,
state and local bar associations, and, beginning in 2001, a selection of
metropolitan trial courts. Click here
for the link.
Pro
Se Information
A
Study Concerning Maine's Present and Possible Future Responses to the Pro Se
Question,
Stacy O. Stitham, April 25,2005, (J.D. Candidate,
Harvard Law School, 2005)
Pro
Se Statistics,
Madelynn
Herman,
National
Center
for
State Courts,
June
21, 2006
This
links to a list of online reports regarding pro
se litigants and provides a snapshot of statistics in various
jurisdictions from around the country.
Selfhelpsupport.org
is an SJI
funded, award
winning membership site that serves as a network
for practitioners of self-help
programs as well as an online clearinghouse
of information relating to self-representation, www.Selfhelpsupport.org.
|
Center
for Court Solutions - http://solutions.ncsconline.org/key_topics/pro_se_pro_bono.htm
- PRO
SE/PRO BONO SERVICES - This
link provides information, resources, and solutions to respond to the
increasing numbers of pro se litigants seeking effective access to the
courts. Covered topics include unbundling private legal services,
expanding pro bono pools, simplifying court processes and procedures,
and self-help centers.
|
|
|
|
|
State
and Local Task Forces on Self-Represented Litigants:
Such task forces are
in place in many jurisdictions, and are playing a major role in spearheading
innovation. High judicial
involvement or support is critical.
Self-Represented
Litigant Strategic Plan:
Such task forces
find that a multi-component strategic plan assists in maintaining focus and
building consensus. Such
a plan also facilities ongoing self-evaluation.
Alternative
Dispute Resolution (ADR)
Court
Connected Alternative Dispute Resolution in Maine, Honorable Howard H. Dana Jr., Maine
Law Review, Vol. 57:2
Click here for Article
National
Standards for Court-Connected Mediation Programs, Center for Dispute
Resolution, The Institute for Judicial Administration Click here for Article
MONITORING
AND EVALUATING COURT-BASED DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROGRAMS: A GUIDE FOR JUDGES AND
COURT MANAGERS, National
Center
for State Courts Click here for Article
ABA
Section of Dispute Resolution, Resolution on Mediation and the Unauthorized
Practice of Law - Adopted
by the Section on
February 2, 2002
Click here for Resolution
Bibliographic Summary
of Cost, Pace, and Satisfaction Studies of Court-Related Mediation Programs,
Jennifer E. Shack, Center for Analysis of Alternative Dispute Resolution
Systems Click here for Bibliography
Supreme Court
Complementary Dispute Resolution Committee, Final Report of the Evaluation of
the Pilot Program for Mediation of Economic Aspects of Family Law Cases
Click here for Report
Resources
on Self Represented Litigation
- These
materials have been prepared by the Self Represented Litigation Network.
They include a listing of key resources, a description of the Network,
and a listing of effective practices.
Websites
and Key Materials
www.selfhelpsupport.org
The main national source of information on self represented litigation,
the site includes over 1,000 resources, and has 1400 members.
Operated by NCSC on behalf of a consortium of
groups, with funding from SJI.
The
Future of Self Represented Litigation, Report From the March 2005
Summit
,
National
Center
for State Courts (2005).
Includes effective practices, ideas for
dissemination and future innovations, and several important papers on the
state of knowledge and planning for the future.
(Available at http://www.ncsconline.org/WC/Publications/Res_ProSe_FutSelfRepLitfinalPub.pdf).
Framing
the Issues for the
Summit
on the Future of Self-Represented Litigation,
John Greacen, (2005) included in the above Report.
This paper, prepared for the
Summit
, includes the best summary of the
current state of research knowledge on self represented litigants and their
needs.
Reaching
Out or Overreaching: Judicial Ethics and Self Represented Litigants, Cynthia
Grey, American Judicature Society, (2005).
A report and model curriculum on the role of
judges. (Available
at http://ajs.org/prose/pdfs/Pro%20se%20litigants%20final.pdf).
Meeting
the Challenge of Pro Se Litigation: A Report and Guidebook for Judges and
Court Managers,
Jona Goldschmidt et al, American Judicature
Society, (1999) Prepared for the
seminal 1999 conference. (Available
at www.selfhelpsupport.org).
See also, Meeting the Pro Se
Challenge: an Update,
Kathleen M. Sampson, 84 Judicature 326
(May-June 2001) (Available at http://ajs.org/prose/pro_sampson.asp).
The
Self
Help Friendly Court
:
Designed from the Ground Up to Work for People Without Lawyers,
Richard Zorza,
National
Center
for State Courts (2002).
A long term vision. (available
at http://www.ncsconline.org/WC/Publications/Res_ProSe_SelfHelpFriendlyCtPub.pdf)
Additional
information may be located by contacting: Richard Zorza,
richard@zorza.net, 202-549-1128
Public
Information, Training and Assistance Programs
Courthouse
Concierge Desk:
A staffed courthouse concierge desk service provides welcoming and
directing services to all who enter the courthouse.
This service is frequently staffed by volunteers and can provide
additional assistance services. The
service fundamentally changes the face of the court to the world.
Self-Help Websites:
Well designed and comprehensive self-help websites have proven
themselves to be highly effective means of providing the information
component of access to justice. After
initial development costs, they can distribute information widely with
little marginal cost other than ongoing updates and maintenance.
They facilitate partnerships with appropriate access points.
Self-Help
Centers:
Self-help centers have proved themselves as highly effective at
increasing litigant satisfaction, helping litigants prepare for court, and
may improve court functioning. They
consist of programs in which court staff and others provide information on a
one-on-one basis or in workshops about court procedures and the law.
While not providing formal advice, and while not involving the
creation of attorney-client relationships, their ability to deal one-on-one
with litigants goes way beyond the provision of general information.
Law
Library as
Resource
Center
:
Law libraries have become major sources of assistance and support to
self-represented litigants. The
staff are often expert in finding the law, and
can assist litigants in using tools to find and understand the law.
Multi-Lingual
Written Informational Materials:
A disciplined program to produce a full range of needed general
descriptive information materials is a crucial component of any general
access to justice program. Such
information can be distributed through a wide variety of technologies, makes
possible the effective use of volunteers, and helps force consistency on the
court itself. They should be
multi-lingual and include community resource listings.
Videos/PowerPoint
Slides:
Many programs find that video and PowerPoint training materials are
helpful in establishing and maintaining low marginal cost court preparation
programs. These materials can
show what court is like, introduce the court players, lessen intimidation,
and introduce key legal concepts. They
are particularly appropriate for those populations for whom written
materials are less effective. PowerPoint
presentations are less expensive to produce and can be changed more easily
than video formats.
Rules
in Support of Court Information Programs:
Many jurisdictions
that create court-based self help programs have found that it is helpful to
enact rules that clarify the precise responsibilities of the staff of these
programs.
Library
and Community Access Points:
Experience has made clear that many of the materials and programs
developed in the court or legal aid context can more flexibly be accessed by
many individuals in environments in which there are supportive individuals.
Sometimes the issue is simply one of physical access, sometimes of
help with the computer, sometimes language, sometimes understanding.
A wide variety of community access points can help meet this need,
and provide significant leveraging use of materials and on-line information
already developed.
Workshops
and Training:
Group help programs,
often combined with individual support, have proved a cost effective way of
walking individuals through complex paper procedures, and preparing them for
relatively simple court proceedings. The
design of these programs varies widely, from a simple general presentation,
to a multi-part series that includes line by line support for filing in
forms and preparing testimony.
Mobile
Self-Help Centers:
A mobile self-help center has proved an effective, although
expensive, way of communicating the commitment of a court to community
outreach. Carrying materials
and staff support to a wide variety of organizations and locations, the
message of openness is clear. It
allows programs to serve communities that are physically distant from the
court.
Initial
Assessment Processes:
Initial assessments are increasingly coming to being seen as critical
to effective delivery of services. Current
models are supported by referral resources at self-help centers.
One-on-One
Assistance:
More experienced self-help centers are using staff and pro bono
attorneys to provide more intensive one-on-one assistance.
While falling within the limitations governing the particular person
providing the help, they are of more assistance than group or counter-based
service delivery.
Additional
Gateway Services
Forms
and Documents:
Simple, easy to use and self-help friendly forms and documents are
indispensable for an access to justice environment.
Such forms and documents facilitate entry into the dispute resolution
system, provide better data to decision makers, speed the overall process,
and increase comprehension of the whole system.
Document
Assembly Software:
The core concept of document assembly is software that walks users
through branching questions to complete forms which are then printed out or
filed electronically. Among the
advantages are the ability to provide support as people complete the forms,
avoidance of repetitive information, and focus on the areas of information
needed.
Customer-friendly
Electronic Filing:
Electronic filing, if correctly implemented, can make it easier for
litigants to file pleadings and obtain access to justice.
To obtain that result, the electronic filing system must be designed
from the ground up for ease of use by lay litigants.
A poorly designed system may increase rather then reduce barriers to
access. It is noteworthy that
most of the state-level electronic filing initiatives that are succeeding
are access-oriented systems.
Rules
in Support of Form and Process Standardization:
There is broad
agreement that standardization of forms across a jurisdiction is a critical
first step in opening the system to those without lawyers.
Such standardization makes software and form design investment
possible, raises the overall level, allows for instructional information,
and facilitates training and program support.
Attorneys available to
assist / expedite:
A courtroom based
screening and support program, in which attorneys review the cases of each
self-represented person before they appear, can help build a good
collaboration between the court and the self-help or legal aid program, and
facilitate the functioning of the court.
Self-represented
litigant-friendly judicial practices:
There is increasing understanding that a truly self help friendly
court must change not only the processes that lead up to the courtroom, but
also the way the courtroom itself is conducted.
Judicial officers and those that work with them are beginning to
think of ways to manage the courtroom so that neutrality is enhanced by
making the systems work for all, regardless of whether they have a lawyer.
Immediate
written order upon decision:
There is emerging
agreement that for those without lawyers, it is better if, whenever
possible, there is an immediate decision, in writing at the end of the
hearing. This makes it easier
for the parties to accept finality, and obtain the services they may need
for the next step.
Ohio
Supreme Court Task Force on Pro Se and Indigent Defendants issues Report
and Recommendations relating to indigent criminal defense, pro bono, pro
se, limited representation and funding for both civil and criminal
representation. (
5/1/06
)
ABA
Pro Se/Unbundling Resource Center Updated
The Delivery Committee's Resource
Center provides information to policy-makers charged with the task of
advancing the response to pro se litigation. The center includes reports,
articles, books, cases, ethics opinions and self-service sites in its effort
to serve as an online technical assistance resource to bar leaders, the
judiciary and court administrators.
Judicial
Support Approaches
Materials
in Support of Self-represented litigant-friendly judicial practices:
Judges need materials and scripts that will help them develop
personal styles that are consistent with their judicial approach, but
supportive of access for those without lawyers.
Ethical
Rules in Support Self-represented litigant-friendly judicial practices:
Judges similarly need clear authorization in governing ethical rules
that they can engage in a non-prejudicial way with self represented
litigants in order to ensure that all sides are heard.
Curriculum
and Trainings in Support Self-represented litigant-friendly judicial
practices:
Judges similarly need clear curriculum and trainings in support of
this approach.
Post-Order
Practices
Enforcement
Support:
Many programs agree
that they have been better at giving people information at the beginning of
the case than they have been at helping them at the end.
They are beginning to explore the creation of programs focused on
support for enforcement of already issued orders.
This will increase overall compliance and satisfaction with the
court.
Low-Income
People and Courts Benefit From New Temporary Restraining Order Clinic Run by
Bay Area Legal Aid
The process for seeking
restraining orders will be easier for low-income people with the opening of
the first temporary restraining order clinic in San Mateo County, California
on March 14, 2005. Run by
LSC
grantee
Bay
Area Legal Aid, the clinic will
offer workshops to help people handle the necessary paper work for obtaining a
temporary restraining order and a hearing for a permanent order protecting
them from abusive family members or partners. Before this new clinic
opened, the court handled applications for four to eight temporary restraining
orders daily, and those seeking help from the court often found the
bureaucracy challenging. Jennifer Keith, a managing attorney at Bay Area
Legal Aid, notes that while attorneys will not actually represent people, Ideally,
if someone comes to our morning workshop, they should leave with a temporary
restraining order and a hearing date three weeks out for a decision on the
final order. Josh Wein, Legal Aid
Group Expands Presence on Peninsula, San Francisco Examiner,
March 4, 2005
, page reference unavailable.
Wisconsin
Website for Self-representation in Divorce or Legal Separation
Self-help
family Web site
- This
site provides a guide to divorce and legal separation in
Wisconsin
and takes you through a series of questions, filling in the forms necessary to
start or finalize such an action. There is also information about whether you
should try to proceed without an attorney and answers to questions you may
have about the process.
Go to self-help family Web site.
National
Conference on Community Based Access to Justice
Volunteers,
Partners, and Technology - Pro Se Resource
Links
Pro
Se Programs/Models
Using Partnerships & Technology:
䀂
CourtMobile
Superior Court of California,
County
of
Santa
Clara
䀂
Serves
to outreach and provide legal information and resources to self-represented
litigants
in
Santa
Clara
County.
It is a wheelchair accessible van that travels to
community
locations throughout the county.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Projects&abstractid=030172&ImageId=4
䀂
Centro
de Recursos Legales
Superior Court of California, County
of
Fresno
䀂
A
Spanish legal resource center that provides legal information to Spanish
speaking
self-represented
litigants throughout
Fresno
County
while addressing language barriers
that
prevent the accessibility of justice.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Projects&abstractid=030174&ImageId=4
䀂
Regional
Self-Help
Center
Superior Court of California,
County
of Butte
䀂
Collaborative
effort between
Butte,
Glenn, and
Tehama
Counties
to provide legal
information
and court documents to self-represented litigants in all three counties.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Projects&abstractid=030179&ImageId=4
䀂
Mobile
Law Units
Georgia Legal Services Program, Atlanta
Legal Aid Society
䀂
Collaborative
project that seeks to make available legal services and information to
hard-to-reach
clients in isolate low-income communities while empowering these
groups
to address their own legal problems.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Projects&abstractid=030052&ImageId=4
䀂
Online
Domestic Violence Protection Project
Southern
Minnesota
Regional Legal Services
䀂
Web-based
resource for DV victims where they can electronically access crucial
resources,
develop safety plans, and file judicial orders through a centralized website.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Projects&abstractid=030085&ImageId=4
䀂
Proyecto
Ayuda Legal
Inland Counties Legal Services
䀂
A
partnership project that provides assistance in family law, landlord-tenant
matters,
and
in select guardianship cases to monolingual Spanish speakers.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Projects&abstractid=030087&ImageId=4
䀂
Riverside
County
Family
Law Access Partnership Project
Inland Counties Legal Services
䀂
A
partnership project that provides assistance in a full range of family law
cases to
Spanish-speaking
self-represented litigants.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Projects&abstractid=030086&ImageId=4
䀂
Pro
Se Computer Workstations
Micronesian Legal Services
䀂
Seeks
to increase knowledge of legal rights and make users more comfortable with
technology
by providing access to desktop and laptop computers for self-represented
litigants
in offices of MLS the first of its kind in
Micronesia.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Projects&abstractid=030040&ImageId=4
䀂
3D
Multimedia Project
Land
of
Lincoln
Legal Assistance Foundation
䀂
Enhances
functionality of statewide websites by providing interactive audio and video
supported
legal information to users.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Projects&abstractid=030032&ImageId=4
䀂
Assisted
Pro Se Website Project
Utah
Legal Services
䀂
Online
resource that allows volunteer attorneys to assist self-represented litigants
in no
fault
divorce matters.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Projects&abstractid=030029&ImageId=4
䀂
Access
to Justice
NWLS Televised Productions, Northwestern Legal Services
䀂
A
half-hour television program produced and directed by NWLS that addresses a
wide
range
of legal issues faced by the client community such as family law, legal
services,
and
community outreach.
䀂
http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Projects&abstractid=030002&ImageId=4
䀂
Know
Your Rights Advisory Clinics
Queens Legal Services Corporation
䀂
Provides
training sessions that advise clients on basic rights and issues that arise in
court
proceedings involving housing and child support.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Projects&abstractid=030011&ImageId=4
䀂
Self-Help
Legal Access Centers
Superior
Court of California, Ventura
County
䀂
Provides
legal and research assistance to litigants who cannot afford an attorney using
computer
workstations, videos, and other proactive and innovative efforts.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Projects&abstractid=020113&ImageId=4
䀂
Pro
Se Clinic
Neighborhood Legal Services Association
䀂
NLSA
staff members present a summary of custody law and procedure to advise
clients
in
Pennsylvania
on how to proceed and file their cases to court.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Projects&abstractid=020001&ImageId=4
䀂
Pro
Se Assistance Project
Nevada
Legal Services
䀂
Two
self-help centers in
Nevada
that provide assistance in the areas of housing and
family
law. Clients are assisted in understanding and filling out forms filed in
court.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Projects&abstractid=020004&ImageId=4
䀂
Self-Service
Legal
Center
Indiana
Supreme Court
䀂
Online,
statewide resource that provides legal information, court forms, and various
resources
to self-represented litigants in Indiana.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Projects&abstractid=020014&ImageId=4
䀂
Web-based
Kiosk Initiative
DNA-Peoples Legal Services
䀂
Computer
kiosks installed throughout the Navajo and Hopi nations to provide access to
the
Internet.
䀂
http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Projects&abstractid=020015&ImageId=4
䀂
Self-Help
Legal
Access
Center
Neighborhood Legal Services
䀂
Legal
access centers throughout
Los
Angeles
County
that provide high-quality legal
support
and information to self-represented litigants.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Projects&abstractid=020079&ImageId=4
䀂
Website
Outreach/Legal Self-Help Stations
Legal Aid Bureau
䀂
Outreach
sites equipped with computer stations, legal self-help material, technical
support,
and trained local staff to assist clients in accessing legal information.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Projects&abstractid=020059&ImageId=4
䀂
I-CAN!
Earned Income Tax Credit
Legal Aid Society of Orange
County
䀂
A
simple way for low-income workers to file their taxes online and to claim
their EITC
refund.
䀂
http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Self%20Help&abstractid=020108&ImageID=5
䀂
Interactive
Community Assistance Network (I-CAN!)
Project
Legal Aid of
Orange
County
䀂
Kiosk
and web-based program that provides legal assistance to pro
se litigants
in
preparing
their cases for court.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Self%20Help&abstractid=020009&ImageID=5
䀂
Self-Help
Offices
AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly
䀂
Offices
that provide legal information and support for low-income older persons using
a
website
and volunteers to help them resolve their legal disputes and claim public
benefits.
䀂
http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Self%20Help&abstractid=020047&ImageID=5
䀂
Internet
Access Project
Iowa
Legal Aid
䀂
Aims
to expand technology access and knowledge to low-income persons.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Self%20Help&abstractid=020096&ImageID=5
More
Web-based Projects:
䀂
Maryland
Multilingual Gateway
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Web%20Projects&abstractid=030197&ImageID=5
䀂
Bilingual
Statewide Website
Oregon
Legal Services Community
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Web%20Projects&abstractid=030092&ImageID=5
䀂
Multilingual
Website and Intake Hotline
Pine Tree Legal Assistance
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Web%20Projects&abstractid=030077&ImageID=5
䀂
Online
Domestic Violence Protection Project
Southern
Minnesota
Regional Legal Services
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Web%20Projects&abstractid=030085&ImageID=5
䀂
Customized
Census Data for Community Use
Greater Upstate Law Project
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Web%20Projects&abstractid=020099&ImageID=5
䀂
LiveJustice
Legal Assistance Corporation of
Central
Massachusetts
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Web%20Projects&abstractid=020088&ImageID=5
䀂
Fair
Hearing Bank
Greater Upstate Law Project
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Web%20Projects&abstractid=020090&ImageID=5
䀂
Ohio
Domestic
Violence
Resource
Center
Ohio
State
Legal Services Association
䀂
http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Web%20Projects&abstractid=020013&ImageID=5
䀂
LawHelp
Website
Legal Services for
New
York City
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Web%20Projects&abstractid=020008&ImageID=5
䀂
Lay
Legal Content on Georgias Statewide Website
Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Georgia LSP
䀂
http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Web%20Projects&abstractid=020038&ImageID=5
䀂
Statewide
Websites
Legal Services Corporation
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Web%20Projects&abstractid=020048&ImageID=5
䀂
Changing
the Face of Legal Practice: Unbundled Legal Services
Maryland
Legal
Assistance
Network
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Web%20Projects&abstractid=020074&ImageID=5
Other
Projects:
䀂
Closing
the Digital Divide
Neighborhood Legal Services Program
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Technology&level2=Projects&abstractid=030103&ImageID=5
䀂
Client
Education Materials and Communications with Visually Impaired, Blind, and Low-
Literacy
Clients
West Virginia Senior Legal Aid
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Technology&level2=Projects&abstractid=030165&ImageID=5
䀂
Client
Education Materials for Blind or Visually Impaired Clients
Pine Tree Legal
Assistance
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Technology&level2=Projects&abstractid=030133&ImageID=5
䀂
Work-Study
Students as Technology or Support Staff
Indiana
Legal Services
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Technology&level2=Projects&abstractid=030012&ImageID=5
䀂
Email
Listservs as Electronic Hallways
Legal Services of
Northern
California
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Projects&abstractid=020116&ImageID=5
䀂
LegalMeetings
Lone Star Legal Aid
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Projects&abstractid=020107&ImageID=5
䀂
Dynamic
Client Information Services
Legal Aid Society of Hawaii
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Projects&abstractid=020109&ImageID=5
䀂
Videoconferencing
Project
Legal Aid Society of Hawaii
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Projects&abstractid=020105&ImageID=5
䀂
Videoconferencing
Project
Montana
Legal Services Association
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Projects&abstractid=020040&ImageID=5
䀂
The
Virtual Office: Technology Enables the Practice Area Delivery System
Texas
Rural Legal Aid
䀂
http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=technology&level2=Projects&abstractid=020075&ImageID=5
Pro
Se Articles,
Publications, Standards & Policy:
䀂
Access
Protocol
Judicial Council of California
䀂
Access
to Justice is the first of six priorities established by the Judicial Council.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Policy&abstractid=030137&ImageId=4
䀂The
Richard Zorza
䀂
Explores
ways to redesign courts to make them friendly to and meet the needs of
self-represented litigants.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Articles%20and%20Publications&abstractid=030111&ImageId=4
䀂
Judicial
Techniques for Cases Involving Self-Represented Litigants
Rebecca A. Albrecht, Bonnie Rose Hough, and Richard Zorza
䀂
Provides
suggestions and guidelines on how to make court processes easier to
understand
and more accessible to pro
se litigants.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Articles%20and%20Publications&abstractid=030074&ImageId=4
䀂
Self
Represented Litigants and Court and Legal Services Responses to their Needs:
What We Know
John M. Greacen
䀂
Compiles
a number of pro
se studies
to evaluate how self-represented litigants have
impacted
courts and legal services.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Pro%20Se&level2=Articles%20and%20Publications&abstractid=020045&ImageId=4
䀂
Access
to Justice Technology Bill of Rights
Washington State
䀂
Ensures
that technological advancements serve to expand access to the justice system
rather
than forming barriers that hinder access to low-income and underserved people.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Technology&level2=Standards&abstractid=020054&ImageID=5
䀂
Uses
of Technology in Centralized Telephone Intake and Delivery Systems
Legal Services Corporation
䀂
Looks
at five programs in 1996 that utilize centralized telephone intake and
delivery
systems
while providing examples on how programs can apply technology.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Technology&level2=Manuals&abstractid=020065&ImageID=5
䀂
Statewide
Technology Planning in Legal Services: Turns Out It Is Rocket Science
National Technology Assistance Project
䀂
Provides
practice guidance on how to implement and maintain a successful statewide
technology
planning process.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Technology&level2=Publications&abstractid=040006&ImageID=5
䀂
Improving
Legal Services to Rural and Regional Areas Using Technology
John Hodgins, Legal Aid
Queensland
䀂
Explores
how call centres (hotlines), information kiosks,
websites, and
videoconferencing
are enhancing the delivery of legal services to isolated areas in Queensland,
Australia.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Technology&level2=Publications&abstractid=020110&ImageID=5
䀂
Equal
Justice and the Digital Revolution: Using Technology to Meet the Needs of Low-
Income People
Julia Gordon
䀂
Describes
how technology has improved program management and increased access to
legal
assistance and information.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Technology&level2=Publications&abstractid=020094&ImageID=5
䀂
Technology
and Client Community Access to Legal Services: Suggestive Scenarios on
Community
Legal Education, Intake, and Referral and Pro Se
Michael Genz
䀂
Demonstrates
how technology could enhance community access to legal services.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/abstract.asp?level1=Technology&level2=Publications&abstractid=020024&ImageID=5
Grants
and Funding Sources:
䀂
10
Tips for Funding Technology -
TechSoup
䀂http://www.techsoup.org/howto/articlepage.cfm?ArticleId=538&cg=searchterms&sg=funding%20technology
䀂
Technology
Initiative Grant Program: How to apply, Milestone reporting, Conference
materials,
Notices, and Reports
䀂
http://www.lri.lsc.gov/sitepages/tech/tech_tig.htm
䀂
Technology
Initiative Grant Program: Status Report (Evaluation)
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/abstracts/030066/032403_TIGrprtf.pdf
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/sitepages/tech/tech_eval_clientweb.htm
Other
General Sites of Interest:
䀂
Access
to Justice: Meeting the Needs of Self-Represented Litigants
䀂
Collaborative
project between Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of
Technology,
and the National Center
for State Courts to bring together the most
advanced
process design technologies to assist self-represented litigants.
䀂
http://www.judgelink.org/a2j/index.cfm
䀂
Legal
Services Corporation Resource Library
䀂
Online
compilation of innovative practices provided by the legal services community
throughout
the nation provides excellent links to pro
se and
technology resources.
䀂http://www.lri.lsc.gov/index.htm
䀂
Legal
Services Technology Cabin
䀂
Website
providing technology information for the poverty law community.
䀂http://www.lstech.org/TIG
䀂
Maryland
s
Peoples Law Library
䀂
Online
compendium of legal and self-help information on Maryland
and federal law
affecting
low and moderate income people.
䀂
http://www.peoples-law.info/Home/PublicWeb
䀂
Pro
Bono
Net
Self-Help
Practitioners
Resource
Center
䀂
Comprehensive
online support for courts, community, and legal aid self-help providers
and
practitioners.
䀂
http://www.selfhelpsupport.org
䀂
Pro
Se Forum
American Judicature Society
䀂
Forum
with resources and links on pro
se issues.
䀂
http://www.ajs.org/prose/home.asp
䀂
The
Pro Se Law
Center
䀂
Online
resource center for legal services providers focusing on pro
se clients.
䀂http://www.pro-selaw.org/pro-selaw/index.asp
䀂
Pro
Bono
Net
Self-Help
Practitioners
Resource
Center
䀂
Comprehensive
online support for courts, community, and legal aid self-help providers
and
practitioners.
䀂
http://www.selfhelpsupport.org
䀂
Public
Interest Clearinghouse & Legal Aid Association of California
䀂
Public
Interest Law resources, publications, training programs, and evaluation tools.
䀂
http://www.pic.org/
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