News: Tale of Two No-Cost Re-Engineering Projects that Launched Self-Help Centers (SRLN 2015)
Both the Bronx Family Court and the Pittsburgh Court were able to significantly increase quality, speed, and capacity by re-engineering procedures, re-arranging physical layout, some paint, and new benches. See Pittsburgh Court Doubles the Number of Self-Represented Litigants Served In the First Three Months With No-Cost Reengineering Initiative (SRLN News 2016) and attached presentation from EJC 2015 describing both.
Year published:
2015
Document Author:
SRLN
Study: AmeriCorps Court-Based Navigator Programs (Justice in Government Project 2020)
The Justice in Government Project (JGP) at American University, with support from Pew Charitable Trusts, seeks to support funding for legal aid and improve initiatives that address the access to justice gap.
Year published:
2020
Document Author:
Justice in Government Project, American University
Report: Turning on the Lights: How the Massachusetts Trial Court Could Deploy a Virtual Court Service Center to Assist Self-Represented Litigants (MA Appleseed 2019)
This report was prepared in partnershup with the Mass. Trial Court to inform the development of a virtual self-help center to supplement the work done by its court service centers. This report will be valuable to any jurisdiction working to better serve SRLs. It includes a robust literature review, analysis of input from numerous stakeholders (survey tools are included), and recommendations for how to increase human help and optimize technology. A must read for anyone working in court based self-help.
Year published:
2019
Document Author:
Massachusetts Appleseed, Deb Silva, Julia Schutt, Jake Hofstetter
Tool: CA Self-Help Centers' Self-Assessment Tool for Quality Programs (CA Courts 2018)
The California Self-Help Centers’ Self-Assessment Tool for Quality Programs was developed as a strategic and tactical planning template to promote quality Self-Help Center Programs across California. The tool is designed to connect a wide range of initiatives within the Judicial Branch, and to intentionally develop systems to interconnect the larger court system with self-help programs.
The Tool is designed to:
Year published:
2018
Document Author:
California Judicial Council Center for Families Children & the Courts, Superior Court of California, County of Butte SHARP Program
Reports, Evaluations, Best Practices, Surveys
Evaluation
Best Practices
Surveys
Tools for Evaluating Self-Help Programs and Services
Self-Help Centers
Trial Court Self-Help
Starting a Self-Help Center
Best Practices for Self-Help Centers
Managing a Self-Help Center
Linking a Self-Help Center to Other Services
Evaluating a Self-Help Center
Article: Creating a User-Friendly Court Structure and Environment (NACM 2016)
This publication, from the National Association for Court Management (NACM), encourages the reader to this how the court environment - from the building, to the people, to the technology and resources - can be responsive to the needs and comfort of the public. From the introduction:
Year published:
2016
Document Author:
The National Association for Court Management
Report: Clearing a Path to Justice (MD Working Group on Self-Representation 2007)
This Report is a useful example for jurisdictions thinking about how to build analysis and support as they develop self-help services. From the table of contents:
The Work Group on Self-Representation in the Maryland Courts .....................................1
Aiding the Self-Represented in Navigating the Judicial System.........................................4
Current Efforts and Initiatives..............................................................................................4
Year published:
2007
Document Author:
Maryland Judiciary
Maryland Centralizes District and Circuit Court Self-Help While Expanding Phone and Mobile Support (News 2016)
After unifying its statewide self-help support services into a single call line and support center, the Maryland court system’s new Maryland Self-Help Center expects to at least double the number of litigants it has previously helped while also expanding the type of cases it can support. The new Center supports litigants involved in either District Court or Circuit Courts and can direct referrals to the Family Law Self-Help Centers located in most Circuit Courts and the District Court’s Self-Help Resource Centers.
Year published:
2016
Document Author:
Alex Smith Davis, News, SRLN
Pittsburgh Court Doubles the Number of Self-Represented Litigants Served In First Three Months With No-Cost Reengineering Initiative (News 2016)
In Pittsburgh, reengineering was the key to serving Self-Represented Litigants (SRLs), resulting in the opening of the court’s Family Division Self-Help Center (SHC), which doubled the number of customers served while offering a more sophisticated set of services than the courts had previously. The total cost to the court of opening the center?
Year published:
2016
Document Author:
Alex Smith Davis, SRLN
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
News: Florida’s Clerk Russell On Opening a New Self Help Center (Florida 2015)
When we saw this inspiring video of Orange Country Florida Clerk of Courts Tiffany Moore Russell opening a brand new Self Help Center, we had to reach out to her. Clerk Russell has a strong dedication to helping the self-represented litigants in her county.
Year published:
2015
Document Author:
Alex Smith Davis, News