Cast your vote re: ghostwriting

I’ve received the following email 3 times. It’s time for me to share!

Following an article published yesterday, titled Kansas Ethics Opinion Requires Disclosure on Ghostwritten Pleadings, the ABA Journal has created a poll on ghostwriting.  Visit the site at www.abajournal.com to cast your vote in the poll “Is Ghostwriting Legal Documents Ethical?”.

Scroll down the screen to see the poll, which is located on the right side of the home page.  We’re not sure how long the poll will be open, so be sure to vote today.

This issue is particularly relevant for those of us interested in limited scope representation.

Limited scope representation varies state by state, but generally, it allows attorneys to provide a discrete service and is considered by many to increase access to justice – due to reduced costs for legal services.

A litigant or client may pay for someone to write a letter on their behalf or write their court documents, but complete their legal representation at that point.

Ghostwriting is when the attorney writes the documents for the client. In some states, the attorney does not have to sign their name; in others, it is mandatory.

What do you think? Case your vote at www.abajournal.com.

-RFW

Filed under: 1, Ask-A-Lawyer, Court, Law, Legal, Legal Clinic, Legal Documents, Legal Drafting, Legalese, Plain English, Plain Language, Readability, Right to Counsel, Rule of Law, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, access to justice, access to justice blog, advocacy, attorney, blog, court innovation, law librarians, legal aid, self-represented litigant , ABA Journal, Alabama, attorney, Discrete Task Representation, ethics, ghostwriting, Ghostwritten Pleadings, Kansas, lawyer, legal representation, limited scope representation

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

Thanks SCLS!

Earlier this month I was invited to attend the South Carolina Legal Services (SCLS) Annual Conference in Myrtle Beach.  And it’s hard for me to express the feelings I had. Everyone was welcoming to me and I had a great time. Even better, I came away with a better understanding of what SCLS does and the dedication their staff has to their job. In fact, I dare say that many SCLS attorneys and support staff believe that their work is a calling. I was glad to be a part of SCLS for 3 days!

And I’m thankful for the work they do including:

1. To keep people in their homes;
2. To make sure people are able to access benefits;
3. To help people out of unsafe living conditions; and
4. To let people know that they are not alone in the civil legal system.

Below are some photos from the Conference: (I wish I had more to share, but most shots were under- or over-exposed)

Opening Dinner 11/10/09

George Cauthen, SCATJ Commissioner and SCLS Board Member

Getting to Know Staff Begins

Singing

Singing with guitar accompaniment

Poetry

Flute Solo

The Fashion Show Begins

Models

More Fashion

Like New York Fashion Week

Fierce

Making it work (a la Tim Gunn)

Let the Votes Begin

More Fashion Votes

Door Prize

Agenda

Consumer Law

More Consumer Law Issues

Attentive Students

Continuing Legal Education

The Knowledgeable Panel

Truth in Lending Act

Willard N. Timm, Jr., Assistant Director, Tax Clinic, Georgia State University

Jada Charley introduces Steve Cook to speak re: Assistive Technology

Again, many thanks SCLS!

-RFW

Filed under: 1, Law, Legal, Legal Clinic, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, South Carolina Legal Services, access to justice, access to justice blog, advocacy, attorney, blog, disability, domestic violence, foreclosure, homeless, housing, hunger, indigent, legal aid, poverty, poverty guidelines, public interest attorney , SCLS, George Cauthen, Myrtle Beach, Assistive Technology, SCLS Annual Conference 2009, Kingston Plantation, Jada Charley, Steve Cook, Truth in Lending Act, Willard N. Timm, Tax Clinic, Georgia State University, Consumer Law Issues, Tim Gunn, New York Fashion Week, Flute Solo, Poetry, Singing with accompaniment, Singing, SCATJ Commissioner, SCLS Board member

MPI Offers E Pluribus Unum Prizes for Immigrant Integration

From their website:

The E Pluribus Unum Prizes are a national awards program that provides four $50,000 prizes annually to exceptional initiatives that promote immigrant integration.

The awards are intended to recognize exceptional immigrant integration initiatives that help immigrants and their children adapt, thrive, and contribute to the United States or that bring immigrants and the native born together to build stronger, more cohesive communities.

This is exciting news for funding for some of our legal partners who work with immigrants, especially in this economy. Thank you MPI for offering us not only good empirical data on immigrants, but for offering this opportunity.

-RFW

Filed under: 1, Immigration, LEP, Law, Legal, Legal Clinic, Legal Documents, Legal Drafting, Legalese, Limited English Proficiency, Plain English, Plain Language, Readability, Right to Counsel, SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, access to justice, access to justice blog, advocacy, attorney, blog, children, indigent, legal aid, poverty, public interest attorney , E Pluribus Unum Prizes, Funding opportunity, Immigrant Integration, MPI, United States

National Adoption Month by Guest Blogger Rita Roache

Rita Roache

November is designated as National Adoption Month, a time to recognize the benefits of adoption for families and children.

South Carolina Legal Services marks this observance through partnerships and community education. The law firm is available to represent clients in Adoption cases and also to provide education and conduct outreach.

If you would like a speaker for a community education event, please call Tene’ Staley at 843-266-2171. If you need representation, please call our Legal Aid Telephone Intake Service (LATIS) at 1-888-346-5592.

For more information, see http://lawhelp.org/SC/.

- Rita Roache

Rita Roache is a staff attorney and the Family Law Unit head of South Carolina Legal Services.

Filed under: 1, HHS, IOLTA, Law, Legal, Legal Clinic, Right to Counsel, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, South Carolina Legal Services, access to justice, access to justice blog, advocacy, attorney, blog, children, foster parents, indigent, legal aid, poverty, public interest attorney , Adoption, Charleston attorney, education and outreach, families and children, Family Law Unit head of South Carolina Legal Services, Guest Blogger, http://lawhelp.org/SC, LATIS, Legal Aid Telephone Intake Service, National Adoption Month, November, Rita Roache, SCLS, SCLS staff attorney, South Carolina Legal Services, Tene' Staley

Last Week to Nominate for Ellen Hines Smith Award

You have until November 15th to nominate a South Carolina Legal Services attorney for the Ellen Hines Smith Award.

This year the award event is especially exciting because it will take place during the South Carolina Bar Foundation’s Annual Gala on March 11, 2010.

I can’t wait to learn who receives the award!

-RFW

earlier post

Filed under: 1, Law, Legal, Right to Counsel, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, South Carolina Bar, South Carolina Bar Foundation, South Carolina Legal Services, access to justice, access to justice blog, attorney, blog, indigent, legal aid, poverty, public interest attorney , 1, access to justice, access to justice blog, attorney, Award, blog, Ellen Hines Smith, Ellen Hines Smith Award Nominations, Law, Legal, March 11 2010, public interest attorney, Right to Counsel, SAVE THE DATE, SC access to justice commission, SC ATJ Commission, SC Bar Foundation, SC Bar Foundation Gala, SCLS, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, South Carolina Bar Foundation, South Carolina Legal Services

Opt Out – What do you think?

There’s an article in the Free Times that features Commissioner Sue Berkowitz. It focuses on the Opt Out idea that is currently circulating in D.C. regarding the Health Care Reform Package.

Some statistics from the article:

Currently, South Carolina ranks 48th in the country in overall health, according to data from the United Health Foundation. The state ranks near the top in such categories as stroke deaths, infant mortality and percentage of uninsured children and near the bottom of such lists as access to prenatal care and percentage of healthy children.

Also, approximately one in six South Carolinians are uninsured, according to Census data, and 80 percent of the uninsured are from working families, according to Families USA.

Tell us what you think:

-RFW

Filed under: Health Care, Law, Legal, Legal Drafting, President, SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center, South Carolina, access to justice, access to justice blog, advocacy, attorney, blog, hunger, indigent, legal aid, people with disabilities, poverty, poverty guidelines, public interest attorney , Census, Families USA, Free Times, Health Care, health care reform package, insurance, opt out, SC access to justice commission, South Carolina, South Carolina health, Sue Berkowitz, uninsured, United Health Foundation

PRO BONO Celebration: With a Proclamation!

Thanks to Virginia Howell, Pro Bono Coordinator at Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services, Inc.

Very pleased to share:

Filed under: 1, Ask-A-Lawyer, Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services, Law, Legal, Legal Clinic, Right to Counsel, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, access to justice, access to justice blog, attorney, blog, indigent, legal aid, poverty, pro bono, public interest attorney , Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services, Celebrate Pro Bono, Virginia Howell, City of Charleston, Joseph P. Rily Jr., Mayor of Charleston

Pro Bono in Action! RichBar and HELP

Thanks to the Richland County Bar Association’s Public Service Committee!

Filed under: 1, Law, Legal, Legal Clinic, Right to Counsel, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, access to justice, access to justice blog, advocacy, attorney, blog, homeless, housing, hunger, indigent, legal aid, poverty, poverty guidelines, pro bono, public interest attorney , HELP, homeless, Homeless Experience Legal Project, Judge Zainey, pro bono, Richland County Bar Association

Domestic Violence Awareness Month – Richland County Bar Helps!

Thanks to Guest Blogger Elizabeth Cook! And my apologies for not uploading earlier.

The Richland County Bar Association is hosting a fundraiser on October 22, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, to raise money for Sistercare, a local organization that provides services for battered women and their children—and we need your help!  Please join us for a shrimp boil and silent auction to benefit Sistercare on Thursday, October 22, 2009, at 6:00 at the University House.  We’re going to have a great time enjoying a delicious shrimp boil and fried chicken with fixin’s from Seawell’s, the traditional Bluegrass music of The Carolina Rebels, door prizes, and bidding on an array of auction items.

Please take the time to view this brief video to learn about victim services in South Carolina, Sistercare and how your support can help them provide much-needed legal services to battered women in the midlands.

Sistercare has lost a significant portion of its grant funding, like so many other service organizations during the recent economic downturn.  This loss of funding is directly impacting Sistercare’s ability to provide legal services and support to the women it serves.  Your tax-deductible contribution will be used to supplement Sistercare’s budget for legal work, allowing Sistercare’s attorneys and court advocates to better represent the interests of its clients.  Sistercare is dependent on donations from individuals and groups to survive right now—please consider donating to this worthy cause.

For more information about Sistercare, visit www.sistercare.com .  For more information about the shrimp boil and to make a reservation or donation, contact the Richland County Bar at 771-9801 or mail your check to Richland County Bar, PO Box 7632, Columbia, South Carolina 29202.  Thank you in advance for supporting the indispensable services provided by Sistercare.  We look forward to seeing you on October 22^nd; your donation will truly make a difference!

 

PS – Spoke with Elizabeth Cook. They raised $3,000 for Sistercare with this fundraiser.

Filed under: 1, Law, Legal, South Carolina, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission, access to justice, access to justice blog, advocacy, attorney, blog, divorce, domestic violence, housing, indigent, legal aid, poverty, pro bono, public interest attorney , Richland County Bar Association, domestic violence awareness month, SisterCare, The State, University House, Seawell's, Nancy Barton, Larry Barker, The Carolina Rebels