Self-Represented Assistance Technology Selfhelpsupport.org Webinar April 24, 2006 Presenters: Allison McDermott, Dan Rieken, Katherine Bladow

Self-Represented Assistance Technology

Selfhelpsupport.org Webinar

April 24, 2006

Presenters: Allison McDermott, Dan Rieken, Katherine Bladow


Roadmap

Intro and polls

Types of technology and model programs

Example: Illinois

Example: Montana

Where do you start?

Going forward

Questions/Discussion


Take a Poll

Are your self-help programs currently using technology?

Which of the following types of technology are you using?

Computer terminals, Kiosks, Website(s), Hotline/Phone, Form Preparation, Informational videos, Video conferencing, Internet Chat, Email, Other


Why Technology?

Meet the unmet need

Efficient, on both costs and numbers in need

Improve legal literacy and expectations of just outcomes

Increase productivity and effectiveness of lawyers


Types of Technology

Public-access computer terminals

Websites

Document Assembly/Form Preparation

Telephone/Hotlines

Video (tapes and conferencing)

Kiosks

Internet Chat

Other


Public Access Computers

Provides access to computers for those without other means Can be coupled with staff or phones to provide additional service Serves as the access point to other types of technology

Model Program: AARP Self-Help Office

http://www.aarp.org/states/dc/dc-lce/a2003-05-09-lce_outreach.html


Websites

Cost-efficient means of providing answers to frequently-asked legal questions to the public 24/7 Provide a variety of helpful resources and referrals Statewide web portals exist in all states, and many courts now have rich sites as well Used to deliver/enhance other technology tools as well

Model Program: Contra Costa Virtual Self Help Law Center

http://www.cc-courthelp.org/


Document Assembly

Can create many documents, from simple letters to court forms and pleadings

Provides efficient way to ensure court filings are properly filled out

E-filing as obvious next step

Model Program: Idaho Pro Se Project

http://www.idaholegalaid.org/ (project to launch in 5/06)


Telephone Help/Hotlines

Model Program: Alaska Family Law Self-Help Center

http://www.state.ak.us/courts/selfhelp.htm

Many types of service possible: referrals, legal education, intake, legal advice, brief service,

Offer services to broad geographic area, saving caller travel time

Ability to respond to emergencies

Potential technology to allow easy access 24/7 to common legal questions through recorded answers


Video Conferencing

Already used in court cases to save time and money (prisoner transport, attorney appearance)

Offer remote clinics and workshops to multiple locations

Improve effectiveness of clinics and workshops through distant attorney supervision

Model Program: California Courts

http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/programs/equalaccess/modelsh.htm


Kiosks

Model Program: ICAN

http://secure.icandocs.org/icanweb/

Help with court navigation, general legal and referral information, and forms preparation

Evaluations show that most effective and utilized when dedicated staff available to help users

More and more kiosks are evolving into computer terminals with Internet access


Internet Chat

Model Program: ASKNow Law Librarian Service

http://www.247ref.org/portal/access_law3.cfm

Co-browse website to provide immediate navigation assistance to find helpful resources (LiveHelp)

Answer legal questions through chat (LiveJustice)

Tied to telephone provides powerful back-up


Other

Email

- www.womenslaw.org email hotline

Interactive assessment tools for diagnosis and triage

- Maryland: http://www.peoples-law.org/family/divorce/self%20quiz.htm

Personal web spaces

- SRLs log-in to ask questions and log back in later to receive answers


Existing Program Models

Technology integrates into the existing service delivery models for self-help programs…

- court-based programs

- neighborhood-based programs

- mobile office programs

… And allows us to create new models too

- telephone/web-based programs

- virtual support and chat programs


Self-Help Technology in Illinois

Illinois Legal Aid Online, a nonprofit legal technology organization for the Illinois access to justice community, serves as the spine of many technology initiatives in self-help programs in Illinois.


IL Federal Self-Help Desk

On January 5, 2006, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago opened the first ever federal court self-help advice desk

Partners include Illinois Legal Aid Online, Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and The Chicago Bar Foundation

Legal aid attorney staffs desk each weekday from 9am-2pm

Typical cases include employment discrimination and civil rights cases, but may include any case filed in federal court


IL Federal Self-Help Desk

Desk uses online automated forms and instructions for the documents that pro se litigants may need to file in their cases In addition, public access computers were made available in the federal courthouse as well

Example: Filing a Civil Case in Federal Court without an Attorney

http://www.illinoislegalaid.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.dsp_content&contentid=4639



Self-Help Technology in Montana

The large size of eastern Montana, low population density, high poverty rate, and shortage of both private and legal services attorneys (76 private and 1 legal services attorney serving an area the size of NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NJ, and MD combined) means that low-income residents of the region have virtually no access to the civil justice system.

Montana Legal Services Association’s Self-Help Law Project helps people find the legal information and advice they need to make their own legal decisions and, in some cases, represent themselves in court.

Uses different types of technology in its programs


ICAN E-file


MontanaLawHelp.org and LiveHelp


Video Conferencing

How-to Classes

Approximately every three months, the Montana Self-Help Law Project holds classes for qualifying individuals on how to prepare and file your own uncontested divorce and/or parenting plan.

The classes are, for the most part, presented via video conferencing and are typically held in ten counties across the state.


HotDocs

Download forms to…

… fill out and print online


Tying It All Together

http://www.mtselfhelplaw.org/


Where do you start?

Assess needs and capacity

Leadership and collaboration

Leverage existing resources, local and national

Plan stages

Funding


Going forward

Evaluate! March 2005 California evaluation report has two main points about technology:

- can overcome geographic, transportation and funding barriers, and

- in-person support is key to success.

Must create and maintain quality content

Continue experiment and testing of multimedia content

Expand triage/assessment tools

Expand online document assembly and e-filing

Documents

Self-Represented Assistance Technology Selfhelpsupport.org Webinar April 24, 2006 Presenters: Allison McDermott, Dan Rieken, Katherine Bladow