Criminal Law Library Blog
RICHARD ZORZA
As you may know, the economic crisis is having a major impact upon courts, self-help programs, and indeed litigants.
A major focus of selfhelpsupport in the next year will be working to make sure that courts and their access partners continue to innovate in access to justice, even when times are tough and resources are tight.
As a launch to this focus, we will be having special pre and post conference gatherings for those working in self-help innovation at the Equal Justice Conference in Orlando this May.
The meetings are listed in the Conference Schedule, http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/ejc/agenda_2009.pdf.
There is no extra fee for attendance at these meetings.
The Pre-Conference will be Wed May 13, 1- 5 PM The Post Conference will be 1-3 PM, Sat May 16.
The Wednesday agenda will include the sharing of problems that courts and self-help programs are experiencing and of responses, an opportunity to brainstorm solutions to specific problems, and a discussion of the Self-Represented Litigation Networks research agenda in the area (including possibly preliminary data from the survey we are launching soon). The agenda will also include some focused discussion of particular areas of stress on litigants and the courts, and creative responses, such as in the area of foreclosure, credit cards debt, and evictions.
The current plan for the Saturday agenda is to revisit some of these issues in the light of the Conference, and to discuss strategies for building broader access to justice agendas in a time of change.
THERE IS A PLACE TO REGISTER AS PART OF THE OVERALL CONFERNCE REGISTRIONS.
http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/ejc/brochure_2009.pdf
IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IN PLANNING IF YOU LET ME KNOW IF YOU INTEND TO BE THERE AT THE PRE AND/OR POST CONFERENCE.
Please note, more generally, that we have already produced an article (written by Frank Broccolina and Richard Zorza) Ensuring Access to Justice in Tough Economic Times, that has been published in Judicature on the subject. http://www.selfhelpsupport.org/library/item.224854-Ensuring_Access_to_Justice_in_Tough_Economic_Times.
We have also prepared a paper aimed at judges – Saving Courtroom Time and Improving the Process in Tough Times. We encourage its broad distribution. http://www.selfhelpsupport.org/library/item.235185-Saving_Courtroom_Time_and_Improving_the_Process_in_Tough_Times.
Moreover, a directory in the website library focuses on the materials that are of use in promoting the innovations viewed as most cost effective. http://www.selfhelpsupport.org/library/folder.223114-Low_Cost_Innovations