2019 Equal Justice Conference

With the increasing number of self-represented litigants in the state courts, many people without legal help continue to face the danger of losing their families, their homes, and their livelihoods. Yet an array of solutions along a continuum of services are on the rise to help serve more litigants who lack representation so we can achieve 100% access to justice for all. One such innovation will be highlighted in this session. _x000D_
Panelists will share findings from a study of the Justice Lab at Georgetown University Law Center which undertook a national landscape survey of programs in the state courts that use “non-lawyer” navigator personnel who come from outside the court to help self-represented litigants with their civil legal problems. These programs are being encouraged/developed by judges and court staff, legal aid lawyers, other non-profit leaders and access to justice commissions. The panelists will share key dimensions of programs they identified and offer practical considerations for the design of programs. Panelists will welcome experiences from others who are attending the session who have run/created such navigator programs.