Abstract

This article describes how the influx of self-represented litigants has forced many within the court and legal communities to reconsider some of the fundamental premises on which the civil justice system is based and to respond in new and creative ways to changing litigant demands on existing court and legal resources. It focuses on changes to the delivery of legal services to low- and moderate-income people, especially the emergence of “unbundled” legal services, and addresses the practical implications related to the distinction between legal information and legal advice. Finally, it describes how judges and court staff are rethinking the conceptual design of the civil justice system and addressing specific factors associated with legal complexity and the inherent limitations of laypersons that create barriers to access for self-represented litigants.

This abstract has been taken from the author's introduction.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2003

Publication Information

39 Court Review 8-16 (2003)

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