This report presents the principal findings and conclusions from a comprehensive evaluation of telephone-based legal assistance being provided by Pennsylvania legal aid programs.
Self-Help
Statewide Action Plan for Serving Self-Represented Litigants
The plan states that court-based staffed self-help centers, supervised by attorneys, are the optimum way for courts to facilitate the timely and cost-effective processing of cases involving self-represented litigants, to increase access to the courts and improve delivery of justice to the public. Well-designed strategies to serve self-represented litigants, and to effectively manage their cases at all stages, must be incorporated and budgeted as core court functions.
The National Self-Represented Litigants Project: Identifying and Meeting the Needs of Self-Represented Litigants, Final Report
This major report is the result of research conducted by Dr. Julie Macfarlane in three Canadian provinces from 2011-2013 on self-represented litigants (SRL’s) in family and civil court. It aims to dispel myths about SRLs including the perception that they choose to self represent because they believe themselves as capable as lawyers. It contains extensive recommendations.
Pro Se Phenomenon
The article reviews the causes of the increase in pro se litigation in the US. Inability to pay is only one of many reasons a litigant will end up going to court pro se. The current state of legal services in the US is failing the people who need help the most. Most clients receive only advice on how to proceed on their own.
Family Law Information Centers: An Evaluation of Three Pilot Programs
This study looked at the impact of pilot programs which established information centers for litigants in family law cases who did not have attorneys. The survey was taken from 1364 customers at the three Family Law Information Centers and 24 judges who oversee family law cases.
Legal Aid Research 