Resource: Handling Cases Involving Self-Represented Litigants: A Benchguide for Judicial Officers (California 2007; 2019)
This January 2007 (updated April 2019) benchbook to assist judicial officers in the handling of cases involving self-represented litigants is the first of its kind. This benchguide covers the following topics in addition to providing sample scripts:
· Self-rep. litigants: Who are they and what do they face when they come to court?
· Expanding access to the court without compromising neutrality
· California law applicable to a judge's ethical duties in dealing with SRLs
· Solutions for evidentiary Challenges
· Caseflow management
Year published:
2007; 2019
Document Author:
Judicial Council of California
Weblinks: National Center for State Courts Triage Page (NCSC 2015)
The National Center for State Courts(NCSC) provides numerous resources for court personnel who contemplate triage through the lens of case management, which is a critical step towards simplification, use their search feature for "triage". Many of the resources cited are repeated here, but be sure to check the NCSC Information and Resource page for updates (ncsc.org).
Year published:
2015
Document Author:
National Center for State Courts (NCSC)
Survey: SRLN Library Working Group National Self-Help in Libraries Survey (SRLN 2013)
The Law Librarians’ Working Group of the Self-Represented Litigation Network surveyed law libraries in the summer of 2013 about their services, including self-help programs. The full survey results are available below, as well as maps of the various tiers of service provided throughout the country. The Working Group is re-surveying law libraries in 2019, and will include updated results here when they are available.
Executive Summary
Year published:
2013
Document Author:
Self-Represented Litigation Network
Article: California’s Family Law Facilitator Program: A New Paradigm for the Courts (Harrison, Chase, Surh 2000)
In 1997, California introduced its Family Law Facilitator Program to guide unrepresented family litigants through the judicial process. The authors, all active facilitators, discuss the program’s development, including some of the hurdles it has overcome. They lay out extensive statistical evidence of its effects on pro se family litigation and suggest ways to approach remaining challenges
Year published:
2000
Document Author:
Frances L. Harrison, Deborah J. Chase, L. Thomas Surh
Article: Community Courts and Family (Chase, Alexander, Miller 2000)
The authors introduce the idea of a community court as an interaction among courts, social service agencies, and the community. They discuss several models, prominent among them the Midtown Community Court in Manhattan, before going on to apply community court principles to family law courts. They conclude by setting out a blueprint for a family community court.
Year published:
2000
Document Author:
Deborah J. Chase, Hon. Sue Alexander, Barbara J. Miller
SRLN Brief: How Many SRLs? (SRLN 2019)
National SRL Estimates from srln.org
Year published:
2015, 2019
Document Author:
Self-Represented Litigation Network
SRLN Brief: Law Library Ethics
The following are resources on law library ethics:
American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Ethical Principles & AALL UPL Toolkit
Year published:
2015
Document Author:
Self-Represented Litigation Network
Resource: Technology Initiative Grants (LSC 2015)
Since 2000, when Congress first appropriated special funds for the Technology Initiative Grants (TIG) program, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) has been a leader in the development and use of technology to more effectively meet the legal needs of low-income Americans.
Year published:
2015
Document Author:
Legal Services Corporation
SRLN Brief: Funding (SRLN 2015)
Funding for SRL services comes from a variety of sources, including:
state and local government appropriations;
Year published:
2015
Document Author:
Self-Represented Litigation Network
Article: Self-Represented Litigants in Family Law: The Response of California’s Courts (Hough 2010)
This article summarizes California's response to self-represented litigants.
Recommend Citation: Bonnie Hough, Self-Represented Litigants in Family Law: The Response of California’s Courts, California L.Review (January 2010) found at http://www.californialawreview.org/self-represented-litigants-in-family….
Year published:
2010
Document Author:
Bonnie Hough