Surveys

The Law Librarians’ Working Group of the Self-Represented Litigation Network with the American Association of Law Libraries Government Law Libraries Special Interest Section Best A2J Practices Committee surveyed law libraries about their services to the self-represented litigant, including self-help programs. Results are displayed in this Story Map. This research and analysis was developed to expand SRL services among law libraries by demonstrating best practices for assisting SRLs.

Year published: 2024

Document Author: SRLN

In the 2010's, the legal marketplace saw an influx of new start-ups and new entrants looking to challenge the long-standing service model offered by law firms to their clients. Traditionally, clients looked to their law firms to provide a full range of legal and legal-related services. In 2017, by contrast, consumers of legal services found themselves the beneficiaries of a new and growing number of nontraditional service providers that are changing the way legal work is getting done.

Year published: 2017

Document Author: Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute, Georgetown University Law Center for the Study of the Legal Profession and the University of Oxford Saïd Business School

The SRLN Tiers Survey was developed for states to conduct a quick tiered inventory of their court based self-help services. Tier 1 services are asynchronous (one-way), Tier 2 services are synchronous (two-way), and Tier 3 services integrate multiple providers or parts of the system.

Year published: 2015

Document Author: SRLN, Katherine Alteneder

Community based organizations are essential partners to courts, legal aid, pro bono, and the private bar as they build systems to support remote delivery, which is increasingly becoming a part of any delivery system.

Year published: 2020

Document Author: Julie Mathews, David Wiseman

The Utah Online Dispute Resolution Platform: A Usability Evaluation and Report was published by the Innovation for Justice (i4j) Program at the University of Arizona School of Law, led by Professor Stacy Butler. The following is the report's executive summary.  

Year published: 2020

Document Author: Stacy Butler, Sara Mauet, Christopher L. Griffin, Jr., Mackenzie S. Pish

The following excerpt introduces the report: Cases Without Counsel: Experiences of Self-Representation in U.S. Family Court (“Cases Without Counsel” or “CWC”) is a qualitative empirical research study exploring the issue of self-representation in the United States from the litigants’ perspective.6 The study includes data from in-depth interviews with 128 self-represented litigants and 49 court professionals in four family courts (listed from West to East): Multnomah County, Oregon; Larimer County, Colorado; Davidson County, Tennessee; and Franklin County, Massachusetts.

Year published: 2016

Document Author: Natalie A. Knowlton, Logan Cornett, Corina D. Gerety, & Janet Drobinske

The following is the National Self‐Represented Litigants Project: Identifying and Meeting the Needs of Self-­Represented Litigants Final Report Executive Summary –  

Year published: 2013

Document Author: Julie Macfarlane

Since 2014, the National Center for State Courts has commissioned the State of the State Courts in a (Post) Pandemic World survey to assess public trust and confidence in the courts. The 2020 survey focused on the willingness of registered voters to appear for jury service during the COVID-19 pandemic. The poll of 1,000 registered voters was conducted using a mixture of telephone interviews and online surveys.

Year published: 2020

Document Author: National Center for State Courts (NCSC)

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

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