SRLs – A Start

For those of you interested in learning where to start to learn more about self-represented litigants in South Carolina, here’s my cheat sheet:

Resources

1.         Online

A.  South Carolina:

• http://www.sccourts.org/forms/indexSelfHelp.cfm – The South Carolina Courts official site for Self Help Resources.
• http://lawhelp.org/sc – South Carolina’s Guide to free legal services. LawHelp South Carolina is a project of South Carolina Legal Services and the Legal Services Corporation.
• http://www.scb.uscourts.gov/prose_before.html – The United States Bankruptcy Court District of South Carolina offers information to those filing without an attorney, including a video Bankruptcy Basics Video Presentation for Pro Se Filers.

B.  National:

• http://www.selfhelpsupport.org/ – Members include judges, clerks, court staff, legal aid advocates, bar association representatives, law school faculty, researchers, and others who work to increase access to justice.
• http://www.srln.org/ – The Self-Represented Litigation Network brings together courts and access to justice organizations in support of innovations in services for the self represented
• http://devlegacy.ncsc.org/WC/CourTopics/ResourceGuide.asp?topic=ProSe – The National Center for State Courts’ Self-Representation Resource Guide.
• http://www.ajs.org/prose/home.asp – The American Judicature Society’s Pro Se Forum.
• http://www.lri.lsc.gov/prose/prose.asp – The Pro Se Section of the Legal Services Corporation Resource Library focuses on practices to help legal services programs empower low-income clients to help themselves through pro se advocacy.
• http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/delivery/delunbund.html – The American Bar Association’s Pro Se/Unbundling Resource Center. This site has been developed as a project of the ABA Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services. It is designed as a resource to help lawyers, bar leaders, the judiciary, court administrators, scholars and the media better understand and critically analyze the issues involved in self-representation and unbundled legal services.

C.  Other States:

• http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/ – The California Courts Online Self-Help Center which helps self-represented litigants find assistance and information, work better with an attorney, and represent themselves in some legal matters.
• http://www.legalhotlines.org/ – AARP’s Florida senior Legal Helpline Honored by State Coalition.

2.         Attachments

• http://www.aallnet.org/products/HowToResearchLegalProblem.pdf – How to Research a Legal Problem: A Guide for Non-Lawyers published by the American Association of Law Libraries.

I’m sure there will be more to come, but this should give you a start!

And many thanks to probono.net for supporting many of these platforms.

-RFW

Filed under: 1, Court, Law, Law Related Education, Legal, Legal Clinic, Legal Documents, Legal Drafting, Legalese, Plain English, Plain Language, Right to Counsel, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, South Carolina Bar Foundation, South Carolina Court Administration, South Carolina Courts, South Carolina Legal Services, South Carolina Supreme Court, access to justice, access to justice blog, attorney, blog, court innovation, indigent, law librarians, legal aid, poverty, pro bono, public interest attorney, self-represented litigant , AALL, ABA, American Association of Law Libraries, lawhelp.org/sc, pro se, sc courts, Self-Help Resources, self-represented litigants, SRLs, The American Bar Association's Pro Se/Unbundling Resource Center, The American Judicature Society's Pro Se Forum, The Nation Center for State Courts' Self-Representation Resource Guide, The Pro Se Section of the Legal Services Corporation Resource Library, www.sccourts.org, www.selfhelpsupport.org, www.srln.org

Guest Blogger: Cynthia Cothran, LRE Director at the SC Bar

Help make mock trial rock!

Volunteers Needed!

It is that time of year again!

The Law Related Education (LRE) Division is seeking volunteers for its growing mock trial programs, which teach middle and high school students about the legal system through trial role playing. Mock trial volunteers enjoy the thrill of competition while scoring and presiding over trials. LRE not only needs volunteers to score the competitions, but attorney coaches to help prepare the teams.

WANT TO SCORE A COMPETITION?

Competitions Dates and Locations are as follows:

October 31, 2009 Middle School Mock Trial Regional Competitions (Charleston (full), Columbia, Conway and Greenville)

November 21, 2009 Middle School Mock Trial State Competition (Lexington) (full)

February 27, 2010 High School Mock Trial Regional Competitions (Charleston, Columbia, Conway, and Greenville)

March 12-13, 2010 High School Mock Trial State Competition (Columbia)

WANT TO COACH?

If anyone is interested in serving as an attorney coach instead of a scoring judge, there are several high schools that need attorney coaches that are as follows:

Berkeley County: Cane Bay High School

Horry: Carolina Forest High School

Richland: Lower Richland High School, Ridgeview High School, Spring Valley High School

York: Nations Ford High School, Westminster Catawba Christian School

Pickens: D.W. Daniel High School

All mock trial volunteers earn pro bono credit for their hours dedicated to the mock trial program. To learn more or volunteer, contact Cynthia H. Cothran at ccothran@scbar.org or at (803) 252-5139.

Filed under: 1, Law, Law Related Education, Legal, SC Bar, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, South Carolina Bar, South Carolina Bar Foundation, access to justice, access to justice blog, advocacy, attorney, blog, children, pro bono , Berkeley County, Cane Bay High School, Carolina Forest High School, Charleston, Coaches, Columbia, Conway, Cynthia Cothran, D.W. Daniel High School, Greenville, Guest Blogger, High School, Horry County, Law Related Education, Lexington, Lower Richland High School, LRE, LRE Director at the SC Bar, Middle School, mock trial, Mock Trial Competition, Nations Ford High School, Pickens County, pro bono credit, Richland County, Ridgeview High School, Scoring Judges, Spring Valley High School, volunteers needed, Westminster Catawba Christian School, York County

SC ATJ attends the SC Clerk of Court Conference 10.1.09

Last Thursday I had the privilege of speaking at the South Carolina Clerk of Court Conference at the Hilton Garden Inn in Aiken, SC. My presentation was an update of access to justice.

The presentation was met with enthusiasm and discussion continued even past the presentation. Luckily, at the last minute, I was able to incorporate a little of the updated report from LSC – DOCUMENTING THE JUSTICE GAP IN AMERICA.

Here’s the presentation:

Clerks fall conf 10.1.09

And here are some of the photos:

Thanks to Katie Staden from the SC Bar who accompanied me and took some of the photos when I was speaking!

-RFW

Filed under: 1, Court, IOLTA, LEP, Law, Law Related Education, Legal, Legal Clinic, Legal Documents, Legal Drafting, Limited English Proficiency, Plain English, Plain Language, Right to Counsel, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, South Carolina Bar, South Carolina Court Administration, South Carolina Courts, access to justice, access to justice blog, advocacy, attorney, blog, indigent, law librarians, law students, legal aid, poverty, pro bono, public interest attorney , SC Bar, LSC, 2009, SC Clerk of Court Conference, Thursday October 1, SC Access to Justice presentation, Documenting the Justice Gap in America, Aiken, Hilton Garden Inn, Katie Staden

COMING SOON to a town near you: Celebrate Pro Bono

LOUD & CLEAR: PRO BONO ROCKS

At the end of October, across the nation, attorneys will join together to provide Pro Bono services as part of the American Bar Association’s CELEBRATE PRO BONO WEEK (October 25-31, 2009).

Mark your calendars. The South Carolina Access to Justice Commission will be highlighting some of the featured events, programs or pro bono attorneys on the blog.

If  you have a story to share and would like to be a guest blogger, please email me.

-RFW

Filed under: 1, Ask-A-Lawyer, Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services, Charleston School of Law, Law, Law Related Education, Legal, Legal Clinic, Legal Documents, Legal Drafting, Legalese, Right to Counsel, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, South Carolina Bar, South Carolina Bar Foundation, South Carolina Bar Pro Bono Program, South Carolina Court Administration, South Carolina Courts, South Carolina Legal Services, South Carolina Supreme Court, USC School of Law, access to justice, access to justice blog, attorney, blog, homeless, indigent, law librarians, law students, legal aid, poverty, pro bono, public interest attorney, self-represented litigant , American Bar Association, Celebrate Pro Bono, October 25-31 2009, Pro Bono Week, SC access to justice commission

220 years and counting . . .

Today in history . . .

September 25, 1789 - Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, known today as the Bill of Rights, were first proposed. It may be interesting to note that even back then, it took a little over two years (December 15, 1791) to ratify most of them.

If you are unsure how history holds relevance today, consider this sampling:

1st Amendment – Free Speech

2nd Amendment – Security of a Free State

5th Amendment – Pleading the Fifth (against self-incrimination)

6th Amendment - Gideon v. Wainwright (right to counsel)

10th Amendment – State sovereignty

Sometimes it helps to look back, just so we can look forward – with apologies to George Santayana

Thanks to our founding fathers for having the foresight to draft this important document.

-RFW

Filed under: 1, Civil Gideon, Court, First Amendment, Law, Law Related Education, Legal, Legal Documents, Legal Drafting, Readability, Right to Counsel, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, access to justice, access to justice blog, attorney, blog, law librarians, law students , 10th Amendment, 1st Amendment, 2nd Amendment, 5th Amendment, 6th Amendment, amendments, Bill of Rights, December 15 1791, Free Speech, George Santayana, Gideon v. Wainwright, Pleading the Fifth, Right to Counsel, Security of a Free State, self-incrimination, September 25 1789, state sovereignty, US Constitution

Constitution Day – What Freedom do you celebrate?

The Constitution of the United States of America

My Fave? Article III of the Constitution

Maybe that’s an obvious choice for an attorney. Now, please don’t misunderstand, all of the freedoms noted in our venerable Constitution have a special spot in my heart. Tears still swell every time I hear the Star-Spangled Banner. I imagine looking out and seeing our flag still standing proud, even in the midst of a war for our continued independence from Great Britain.

Article III establishes the Judiciary. The Third Branch of Government. No, I won’t delve into Marbury v. Madison, although any law student could wax poetic on the landmark case.

But I am glad that each year we celebrate Constitution Day because it gives me a good excuse to review the grand document.

You don’t have to declare your favorite article or section, but do take a moment to reflect on the freedoms and the wisdom contained in the document with the preamble:

We the people of the United States,

in order to form a more perfect union,

establish justice,

insure domestic tranquility,

provide for the common defense,

promote the general welfare,

and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity,

do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

-RFW

Filed under: 1, Charleston School of Law, Court, Law, Law Related Education, Legal, Legal Documents, Legal Drafting, Legalese, Rule of Law, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, USC School of Law, access to justice, access to justice blog, advocacy, attorney, blog, constitution, court innovation, law librarians, law students , Article III of the Constitution, Constitution Day, Constitution of the United States of America, FREEDOM, Great Britain, Law Student, Marbury v. Madison, Star-Spangled Banner, The Judiciary, The Third Branch of Government, We the People

Plain English Guru: Ken Davis

A brief thanks to techno.la for pointing us to Kenneth W. Davis -

THANKS!

Once we clicked to his blog, we knew we’d found a gem: a Plain English Guru.

Sure, it’s not a legal writing blog. Ah, much more importanly, it’s a blog about writing. Writing for everyone.

And that’s something many of us attorneys push aside as we start writing. We write to impress the Court. We write to impress the Client. We write to impress anyone who may read our loquacious and eloquent documents.

In essence, as lawyers, we often forget to write  for someone, we write to impress the audience with our hard-earned and years of education. After all, we had to learn to write those Latin phrases in law school, right?

Writing with flourish may be fun and it may be exciting to search for words out of the brain’s recesses that house our grammar school vocabulary tests, but those are endeavors for us, the writers.

When we write for the reader, we should write clearly and with a end in sight – to get our idea across to the reader.

And Mr. Davis is the go-to-guy for plain writing.

-RFW

Filed under: 1, Court, Law, Law Related Education, Legal, Legal Documents, Legal Drafting, Legalese, Plain English, Plain Language, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Readability, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, access to justice, access to justice blog, attorney, blog, court innovation, law librarians, law students, legal aid , Ken Davis, Kenneth W. Davis, Legal Writing, Plain English, Plain Language

SCATJ Trains Magistrates

Yesterday the South Carolina Access to Justice Commission was pleased to be part of the Orientation for South Carolina Magistrates held at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy.

Here is the presentation: Courtroom JUSTICE FOR ALL including SRLs July 2009

Here are some photos from the training:

A question about SRLs

Stephanie Nye presents

Stephanie responding to a question

Magistrates in the classroom

Robin speaking

-RFW

Filed under: 1, Continuing Legal Education, Court, Law, Law Related Education, Legal, Plain English, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, South Carolina Court Administration, South Carolina Courts, South Carolina Supreme Court, access to justice, access to justice blog, attorney, blog, court innovation, indigent, poverty, self-represented litigant , Courtroom JUSTICE FOR ALL including SRLs, Magistrate Orientation, Robin F. Wheeler, SCATJ, South Carolina Access to Justice, South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, South Carolina Magistrates, Stephanie A. Nye

USC School of Law Librarian Terrye Conroy to receive AALL Public Spirit Award

I’m pleased to post that Terrye Conroy, a Reference/Public Services Librarian at the Coleman Karesh Law Library at USC School of Law will be one of two recipients of the Mersky Spirit of Law Librarianship Award at the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.

She worked with the South Carolina Library Association, to develop and coordinate the Circuit Riders Outreach Program which travels throughout the state teaching basic legal research skills to non-law librarians in public and academic libraries.

 Congratulations Terrye!

-RFW

Filed under: 1, Continuing Legal Education, Court, Law, Law Related Education, Legal, Legal Clinic, Legal Documents, Legal Drafting, Readability, South Carolina, USC School of Law, access to justice, access to justice blog, attorney, blog, law librarians , AALL, AALL Annual Conference, American Association of Law Libraries, Circuit Riders Outreach Program, Coleman Karesh Law Library, Mersky Spirit of Law Librarianship Award, Reference/Public Services Librarian, South Carolina Library Association, Terrye Conroy, USC School of Law, Washington D.C.

Favorite Civil Justice Movie?

I just received an email about American Violet, a movie about civil justice released earlier this year.

And as I read the promo and watched the video preview, I realized that movies are powerful media. I reflected on earlier movies that had inspired me to move into a civil justice career such as Cry Freedom, Sound and Fury, A Civil Action, and Mississippi Burning to name a few.

Then I thought, if seeing the preview for American Violet has inspired me so, what other inspirational movies are out there that I’ve either forgotten or have never seen?

That’s where YOU Dear Reader come in.

Please add your favorite in the comments section of this blog.

Feel free to say why or how it inspired you too.

Plus you gain the opportunity to inspire someone else too.

Thanks!

-RFW

Filed under: 1, Law, Law Related Education, Legal, Right to Counsel, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, access to justice, access to justice blog, blog, disability, legal aid, people with disabilities, poverty, poverty guidelines, pro bono, public interest attorney , A Civil Action, American Violet, cinema, civil justice inspiration, cochlear implants, Cry Freedom, Deaf, favorite movie, film, Mississippi Burning, movies, powerful media, Sound and Fury