April 2011  
 
 

"If we are to keep our democracy, there must be one commandment: thou shalt not ration justice."
- Judge Learned Hand

 

In This Issue
A Year in Review
BOG Supports LSC Funding
Law Day: May 7, 2011
Justice Gap Fund
Nominations for Benjamin Aranda III Award

A Message From the Chair: 

 

Equal Justice Under Law. No principle is more important than the notion that all citizens should receive equal justice under law. The California Commission on Access to Justice, with the invaluable support of the Office of Legal Services of the State Bar, continues to work to make Access to Justice for all Californians a reality, regardless of income, language ability or county of residence.

 

This issue of Justice highlights the work of the Commission in 2010, and provides information regarding important developments and updates on the Commission's work. We are proud of our accomplishments, but recognize that there is much more to be done. As Chair of the Commission, I assure you that the Commission is continuing to work diligently to ensure access to justice for all.

 

Hon. Ronald B. Robie

Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District

Sacramento

A Year in Review: 2010 Accomplishments of Access to Justice Commission

 

The Access to Justice Commission had an extremely productive year in 2010, and continued its ongoing efforts to increase access to the judicial system for low and moderate income Californians. Under the leadership of Chair, Hon. Ronald Robie, Justice of the Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District and Vice-Chair Kenneth Babcock of the Public Law Center in Santa Ana, and as a result of the dedicated work of numerous volunteers, the Commission is proud to report that, among other things, in 2010 the Commission:

  • PUBLISHED RURAL REPORT: The Commission published a comprehensive report on access to legal services in rural areas and distributed it broadly throughout the State. Judge Charles S. Crandall, presiding judge of the San Luis Obispo Superior Court, in writing on the importance of lawyers who provide pro bono legal services to those in need cited the Rural Report and its finding. Read the article here. The Rural Task Force continues to work to implement the recommendations in the report. Click here to read the report online.
  • HELPED IMPLEMENT SHRIVER PILOT REPRESENTATION PROJECT: The Right to Counsel Committee of the Access Commission played a key role in supporting AB 590 (Feuer) during 2009. This is landmark legislation that makes California the first state in the nation to establish a model program providing representation for low-income people in critical civil cases. During 2010, the Commission worked closely with the Judicial Council and the Administrative Office of the Courts on implementation of the pilot projects.
  • DEVELOPED BEST PRACTICES FOR ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCIES: With the goal of increasing access to justice within agencies, the Administrative Agency Committee developed a list of best practices and potential barriers within agencies. This work is critical because some of the highest priority legal needs of low-income Californians involve agencies and not courts.
  • STRENGTHENED SUPPORT FOR PRO BONO ATTORNEYS: The Commission launched a joint Pro Bono Task Force with the State Bar's standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services. This joint committee is working to coordinate pro bono efforts statewide so that more Californians will receive pro bono assistance.

These are just a sample of the Commission's work in 2010. For a more detailed and comprehensive look at what the Commission accomplished, please CLICK HERE to read the Access Commission's 2010 Accomplishments Report.

State Bar Board of Governors Supports LSC Funding to

Help Ensure Access to Justice:

 

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is the  single largest provider of civil legal aid in the nation.  LSC is funded by Congress and during the recent budget negotiations there were proposals to drastically cut LSC's funding. This would have severely impacted the most vulnerable people in our country and threatened the very foundation of our justice system and our nation's commitment to equal justice for all.  On April 8, 2011, California's State Bar Board of Governors voted to join with the 49 other states and the ABA to sign a letter opposing cuts to the LSC and supporting a $30 million increase for next year.   As the letter recognizes:  "Due to economic conditions, the number of people who qualify for legal services is at an all-time high; nearly 57 million Americans, including 19 million children, now are eligible for civil legal assistance. . . . Already, one in two eligible clients seeking assistance from an LSC-funded legal aid program is turned away due to lack of resources. Other sources of funding for legal assistance programs have also diminished . . .  Maintaining no less than the current level of $420 million for FY11 and supporting LSC at $450 million for FY12 are vital to ensuring equal justice for all Americans regardless of their economic status." Click here to read the State Bar Board of Governors letter.

 

In the final budget compromise that was reached for FY 2011, LSC received a reduction of 3.8 percent from the original $420 million funding level.  This resulted in approximately $2 million in lost funding for California's LSC-funded programs half-way through their budget year. However this was a significant improvement over the original $70 million in national LSC reductions passed in the House earlier this year.  Click here to read the LSC press release.

Mark Your Calendars:  May 7, 2011:  Law Day- Public Libraries and Volunteers Throughout State to Offer Information to Self-Represented Litigants

 

Public libraries are often the first place that many people without lawyers go for information about the law and courts.  Recognizing this, courts around the country are working with public libraries to provide court-related information to self-represented litigants.  Here in California, the AOC's Executive Office Programs Division has launched a California Court and Library Partnership Project, the goal of which is to increase the public's access to self help services by providing training, resources and outreach materials to public libraries.   Among their many activities, the AOC, in conjunction with the superior court's legal access self-help centers and local law and public libraries are partnering this year to celebrate Law Day and AmeriCorps week with events in select libraries on May 7, 2011.  California JusticeCorps members will staff information tables at the local libraries, providing the public with information about the courts' legal access self help centers and the type of assistance they provide self-represented litigants attempting to navigate the system.  The Access Commission's Communications Committee has offered to assist in this event and the State Bar has  provided 3,000 copies of its publications for library branches that are participating. To read more about the planned activities, click here. 

Justice Gap Fund:  Update

 

As reported in the December 2010 edition of this newsletter (Click here to read the December 2010 Edition of Justice), the Justice Gap Fund supports and sustains critical legal assistance for the most vulnerable Californians. Donations to the Justice Gap Fund for the 2011 dues year to date are $757,223, reflecting contributions from 8,418 attorneys (less than 4% of the over 225,000 registered attorneys in the State). Help provide Access to Justice for all Californians through a tax deductible contribution. To donate online visit http://calbar.org/justicegapfund. For more details about the fund or making a gift contact [email protected].

Thank You to William Vickrey

 

Bill Vickrey, Administrative Director of the Courts and Secretary to the Judicial Council has announced his retirement effective September 9, 2011. Click here for more details. He has served as chief court administrator since 1992, overseeing major changes in the state's judicial system. Under his leadership, access to justice was greatly expanded by implementation of innovative programs such as: 

  • Establishment of the Equal Access Fund, beginning in 1999, that has made such a critical difference in the level of legal aid support available in California;
  • Development of the award-winning bilingual self-help website that has thousands of pages of information to aid those who cannot afford legal representation;
  • Expansion of self-help centers and family law facilitators into every county in the state, helping millions of Californians every year; and
  • Creation of rules and forms to ensure the availability of limited scope legal assistance, ensuring that those who cannot afford an attorney for all aspects of their case can receive legal help on critical components of the litigation.

The Commission would like to thank Bill for his tireless efforts and immeasurable contributions to the judicial system in California and specifically his commitment and efforts that have helped further the goal of making equal access to justice a reality for all Californians.   


Nominations Being Sought for the 2011 Benjamin Aranda III Access to Justice Award: Nomination Deadline:  May 27, 2011

 

The California Commission on Access to Justice is seeking nominations of a California judge for the 2011 Benjamin Aranda III Access to Justice Award.  May 27, 2011 is the deadline for nominations. 

 

The Aranda Access to Justice Award honors one California trial judge, appellate court justice, or commissioner who deserves recognition for his or her efforts to improve access to our judicial system, who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to equal access to our courts, and who has personally done significant work in improving access to our courts for low and moderate income Californians.

 

Nominations are being sought for the 2011 Aranda Award, which will be presented by the Chief Justice in the fall.  You can also access the forms on our web site:  Aranda Nomination Form

 

Please feel free to contact Chris Zupanovich, [email protected],  if you have any questions or need further information.  We look forward to receiving nominations of the worthy judges who have demonstrated dedication and commitment to improving access to the judicial system.