Resources: California Judicial Education Framework (CA 2022)
Judicial Council of California Center for Judicial Education & Research home page at http://www2.courtinfo.ca.gov/protem/
California: Handling Cases Involving Self-Represented Litigants: A Benchguide for Judicial Officers (January 2007, Updated 2019) available at https://www.courts.ca.gov/partners/documents/benchguide_self_rep_litigants.pdf.
California Rules of Court re: judicial education
Year published:
2022
Document Author:
SRLN
Judicial Guidance for Cases Involving Self-Represented Litigants: Bench Guides
The SRLN Administrative Office of the Courts Working Group has collected court system resources that provide guidance for judges for cases involving self-represented parties. Here is a selection of Bench Guides:
Year published:
2018
Document Author:
SRLN
Video: Re-Imagining Family Law Procedures (Alaska 2016)
Video featuring the Honorable Vanessa White, Judge of the Superior Court at Palmer Alaska, and Stacey Marz, Director of the Alaska Court System's Self-Help Services.
Re-Imagining Family Law Procedures
See our related page for more information, News: Alaska Court Uses Triage and Targeted Pro Bono Unbundled Legal Advice to Settle 80% of Contested Domestic Cases (Alaska State Court System 2015).
Year published:
2016
Document Author:
Alaska Court System
Poster: Alaska Pledge of Fairness
From Justice Dana Fabe's blog post at http://proceduralfairnessblog.org/2013/07/08/alaskans-receive-courts-pl….
ALASKANS RECEIVE COURT’S “PLEDGE OF FAIRNESS”
Guest Post by Chief Justice Dana Fabe, Alaska Supreme Court
Year published:
2013
Document Author:
Dana Fabe
Report: NCSC Judicial Conduct Reporter (Gray 2014)
This issue of the Judicial Conduct Reporter includes an indepth look at how states are addressing the ethics issues posed by self-represented litigants, including a review of case law and Judicial Code of Ethics 2.2.
Year published:
2014
Document Author:
Cynthia Gray
SRLN Brief: Procedural Fairness / Procedural Justice (SRLN 2015)
Research has shown that when defendants and litigants perceive the court process to be fair, they are more likely to comply with court orders and follow the law in the future—regardless of whether they “win” or “lose” their case. This is called procedural fairness or procedural justice. Increasingly, national judicial organizations have recognized the importance of promoting procedural fairness.
Year published:
2015
Document Author:
Self-Represented Litigation Network
Article: The Disconnect Between the Requirements of Judicial Neutrality and Those of the Appearance of Neutrality when Parties Appear Pro Se: Causes, Solutions, Recommendations, and Implications (Zorza 2004)
In this article Richard Zorza explores the concept of engaged neutrality which, when employed by the judge, creates a more transparent and arguably more ethically neutral playing field for the self-represented litigant.
Recommended Citation: Richard Zorza, The Disconnect Between the Requirements of Judicial Neutrality and Those of the Appearance of Neutrality when Parties Appear Pro Se: Causes, Solutions, Recommendations, and Implications, 17 Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics, 423 (2004).
Year published:
2004
Document Author:
Richard Zorza
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
Research: Judge - SRL Communications Research (SRLN 2007)
Through funding from the State Justice Institute, the California Administrative Office of the Courts, and the Maryland Judiciary, the Self-Represented Litigation Network conducted two research projects this year (2006-2007). These projects are: 1) Courtroom Communication: Understanding and Improving Judge-Litigant Interaction in Self-Represented Litigant Cases and 2) Self-Evaluation Tools for Court Handling of Self-Represented Litigant Cases. The results of this research were the bases for the judicial education curricula. The attachment describes the research in more detail.
Year published:
2007
Document Author:
Self-Represented Litigation Network
Article: No Legal Advice from Court Personnel - What Does that Mean (Greacen 1995)
This is the seminal article that explores the underlying rationale that resulted in the blanket prohibition of clerk's not being able to provide information to the public for fear that it would be advice. In the article, Greacen suggests the framework that has today become the accepted framework of how to provide ethically appropriate self-represented services. The five guiding principles are:
Year published:
1995
Document Author:
John Greacen