Conference: Harvard Judicial Leadership Conference (SRLN 2007)
Based on the research of the Self-Represented Litigation Network (SRLN), the resources below make up the original judicial curricula prepared by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), the American Judicature Society, and the National Judicial College, with funding from the State Justice Institute, for the November 2007 conference Access to Justice for the Self-Represented at Harvard Law School.
Year published:
2007
Document Author:
Self-Represented Litigation Network, NCSC, American Judicature Society, National Judicial College
Article: Consumer Centric Design: The Key to 100% Access (Alteneder, Rexer 2015)
These authors, like many in the justice sector, believe that we are at a unique time and that through the integration of key innovations we can move towards 100% access to justice, defined by the authors as a system in which some form of effective legal assistance is provided to all people facing civil legal issues. However, the authors argue that these innovations will only be successful if they offer a consumer-centric approach in which consumers can be efficiently and effectively directed to the type and level of help they need.
Year published:
2014
Document Author:
Katherine Alteneder, Linda Rexer
Paper: The Role of Technology in the Access Solution (Alteneder, Genz, Hertz, Hough, Jacobs, Rawdon 2005)
This paper, was prepared for the Summit on the Future of Self-Represented Litigation (March 24-25, 2005; Chicago, IL) funded by the State Justice Institute (additional Summit materials can be found here). It addresses the critical role that technology solutions can play in lowering the barriers that self-represented litigants face in our justice system.
Year published:
2005
Document Author:
Katherine Alteneder, Michael Genz, Michael Hertz, Bonnie Rose Hough, Harry Jacobs, Glenn Rawdon
Article: Literacy and the Courts (Alteneder 2007)
This article sets out how the prevalence of low literacy in America, as identified by the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), explains why so many employees, clients and customers in everyday situations often fail to complete forms accurately, do not provide information in a timely manner, do not demonstrate knowledge of written material that has been provided, or do not follow instructions.
Year published:
2007
Document Author:
Katherine Alteneder
Article: Triage Protocols for Litigant Portals: A Coordinated Strategy Between Courts and Service Providers (Clarke, Zorza, Alteneder 2013)
A project team that included representatives from the courts, the civil legal aid community and the private bar engaged in a joint process to develop standardized and coordinated triage protocols that link litigant services, courts and legal services. This paper proposes protocols for evictions, divorces, foreclosures, and credit card debt, case types in which a high percentage of cases involve self-represented litigants. The process gave rise to an illuminating dialogue of how each constituency presently conducts triage.
Year published:
2013
Document Author:
Thomas M. Clarke, Richard Zorza, Katherine Alteneder
Article: The Access To Justice “Sorting Hat” Towards A System Of Triage And Intake That Maximizes Access And Outcomes (Zorza 2012)
In this seminal article, Richard Zorza discusses the fact that we know little of the processes by which the millions of people who approach courts, legal aid intake systems, and hotlines are directed into them, or the access services they do or do not receive, or indeed the consequences of those choices. Zorza notes in the introduction:
Year published:
2011
Document Author:
Richard Zorza
Presentation: Securing Highly Competitive Grant Funds Through Collaborative Efforts and Effective Marketing (Reinhart, Herman 2011)
These are the power point presentation slides used by Don Reinhart, PhD and Madelynn Herman, MA during their presentation at the 2011 ABA/NLADA Equal Justice Conference (for more conference/preconference materials, please click here). They cover grant writing techniques, as well as strategic planning principles.
Year published:
2011
Document Author:
Don Reinhart, Madelynn Herman
Survey/Report: Self-Represented Litigation in Nebraska: Survey of Judges and Clerks (Nebraska 2015)
This is a joint project of the Nebraska Supreme Court Committee on Self-Represented Litigants and Nebraska Legal Aid that surveys judges and clerks about self-representation.
Year published:
2015
Document Author:
April Faith-Slaker, Legal Aid of Nebraska, Nebraska Supreme Court Committee on Self Represented Litigation
Report: Public Libraries and Access to Justice (SRLN 2010)
These are the materials from a conference held in January 2010 on Public Libraries and Access to Justice. The full set of conference materials can be accessed here.
Year published:
2010
Document Author:
Self-Represented Litigation Network
Report: Natural Allies: Philanthropy and Civil Legal Aid (PWF/Kresge 2014)
This report was prepared by the Public Welfare Foundation and the Kresge Foundation, leaders in philanthropy working to reform the civil legal aid field to ensure 100% access to justice for all Americans.
Year published:
2014
Document Author:
Public Welfare Foundation, Kresge Foundation