1. Operation & Expansion of Self-Help Services

2. Introductions Los Angeles – Caron Caines, Neighborhood Los Angeles – Caron Caines, Neighborhood Legal Services, ccaines@nls-la.org Santa Clara – Leigh Parsons, Superior Court, lparsons@scscourt.org Santa Clara – Leigh Parsons, Superior Court, lparsons@scscourt.org Sutter – Sarah Heckman, Superior Court, sheckman@suttercourts.com Sutter – Sarah Heckman, Superior Court, sheckman@suttercourts.com

3. Superior Court of California County of Los Angeles

4. NLS & LAFLA SELF-HELP LEGAL ACCESS CENTERS  Self Help Center Sites - Van Nuys (November 2000) - Pomona (November 2002) - Antelope Valley (January 2003 ) - Inglewood (January 2003)

5. NLS & LAFLA SELF-HELP LEGAL ACCESS CENTERS  Collaborative Effort - Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County - San Fernando Valley Bar Association - Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles - Eastern Bar Association - Los Angeles County Courts - Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs

6. NLS & LAFLA SELF-HELP LEGAL ACCESS CENTERS GOALS:  Improve public trust in the judicial system  Link people with existing legal and Community resources  Educate people about court rules and procedures  Educate people about legal rights and responsibilities  Reduce barriers to access to justice for the poor

7. NLS & LAFLA SELF-HELP LEGAL ACCESS CENTERS SERVICES OFFERED  One-one-One Assistance  Workshops  Self-Help Packets  Computers/Internet Access  Attorney Back-up

8. NLS & LAFLA SELF-HELP LEGAL ACCESS CENTERS 2005 CENTER HIGHLIGHTS:  Number of Litigants Assisted: 50,000  Number of Volunteers: 300  Areas of Law: - Family Law - Housing Law - Civil Matters - Guardianships - Civil Restraining Orders - Contracts - Personal Injury

9. Long Beach Self-Help Center

11. Superior Court of California County of Santa Clara

12. Self-Service Staff Team Self- Service Center Family Law Facilitator’s Office

13. Customer Service Courthouses (30,000 annually) Courthouses (30,000 annually) Mobile Self-Service (1,051 half time/annually) Mobile Self-Service (1,051 half time/annually) Self-Service Website (1.46 million visits annually) Self-Service Website (1.46 million visits annually) Spanish Spanish English English Vietnamese Vietnamese New!

14. Reaching Out to the Community CourtMobile Resource Fairs & Festivals Restraining Order Help Center Evening Workshops Notre Dame Center

15. CourtMobile Brings Legal Services to the Community Courthouses  Family Resource Centers  Dept of Child Support Services 20+ locations in over 3 years Libraries

16. SSC Websites: to Serve our Diverse Community New! Spanish English Vietnamese www.scselfservice.org

17. More Websites www.sccaseinfo.org Public Case Information Look-up Site (1.5 million visits annually) www.sccsuperiorcourt.org Main Site (3 million visits annually)

18. Collaborating with our Partners Library Collaboration Lawyers in the Library – Pro Bono Project Legal training Agency referral programs Mediations - Civil Harassment DV Insider Bootcamp TV & Radio interviews Community Fairs & Festivals Volunteer & Intern

19. Superior Court of California County of Sutter

20. Family Law Information Center Located in Yuba City Located in Yuba City Regional Population 120,000 Regional Population 120,000 One hour North of Sacramento One hour North of Sacramento One hour South of Chico One hour South of Chico Stand Alone facility 1 ½ miles from main Courthouse. Stand Alone facility 1 ½ miles from main Courthouse.

21. CENTER DEMOGRAPHICS Single Location est. 1996 Single Location est. 1996 Serve approximately 6000 people annually Serve approximately 6000 people annually 300+ litigants attend clinics 300+ litigants attend clinics Service 120+ phone inquires per day Service 120+ phone inquires per day 30+ Individual appointments with an attorney available each week 30+ Individual appointments with an attorney available each week

22. Self Help Programs REGIONAL CENTER REGIONAL CENTER FLIC- Family Law Information Center FLIC- Family Law Information Center Dissolutions Dissolutions Child Custody Child Custody Motions Motions Orders to Show Cause Orders to Show Cause SUTTER COUNTY FAMILY LAW FACILITATOR Title IV-D

23. Sutter Service Delivery Model One on one appointments One on one appointments Telephonic Appointments Telephonic Appointments Clinics Clinics E-Mail Appointments E-Mail Appointments Walk-in Appointments Walk-in Appointments Video Library Video Library Resource Center Resource Center

24. Computers Computers Limited Internet Access Limited Internet Access Legal Solutions Legal Solutions Disso Master Disso Master Practice Guides Practice Guides Forms Packets Forms Packets 50+ Subject Areas 50+ Subject Areas Several with Several with bi-lingual instructions Sutter County Resource Center

25. Sample Forms Packets Each participant has a disc with all of the forms packets. Each participant has a disc with all of the forms packets. Time permitting at the end of presentation, will load CD and review. Time permitting at the end of presentation, will load CD and review.

26. Expansion of Service Delivery Small Claims Small Claims Guardianships Guardianships Complex Service Issues Complex Service Issues Enforcement of Judgments Enforcement of Judgments Step-Parent Adoptions Step-Parent Adoptions Including termination of parental rights Including termination of parental rights Interpreter for individual attorney appointments with Spanish Speakers Interpreter for individual attorney appointments with Spanish Speakers

27. Operation & Expansion – Things to Consider…

28. How to decide what legal issues to help with? Most popular (family, small claims) Most popular (family, small claims) Most time-sensitive (ex. UD Answers) Most time-sensitive (ex. UD Answers) Potential results most onerous (ex. Unlawful Detainer, restraining order, emergency custody/visitation) Potential results most onerous (ex. Unlawful Detainer, restraining order, emergency custody/visitation) Most difficult to fill out (ex. guardianship) Most difficult to fill out (ex. guardianship) Most helpful to Court due to volume (ex. divorce/family) Most helpful to Court due to volume (ex. divorce/family) What’s funded (Small claims) What’s funded (Small claims) Everything – to what degree? Everything – to what degree?

29. Service Delivery Triage Triage One-on-one One-on-one Workshop Workshop Clinic Clinic Appointment Appointment Referral to other agencies Referral to other agencies

30. Who to hire? Skills Skills Personality Personality

31. How Judicial Officers can help You Referrals Referrals Understand your limits helping people Understand your limits helping people Keep SHC staff “in the loop” Keep SHC staff “in the loop” Tell you what needs they have Tell you what needs they have

32. Space In Court or Not in Court? In Court or Not in Court? Size Size Configuration Configuration

33. Practical Tidbits/ A Day in the Life… Don’t expand too quickly Don’t expand too quickly Don’t worry about advertising Don’t worry about advertising Allow for staff administrative time Allow for staff administrative time Build in quality control Build in quality control Materials!! – creating samples, organizing packets, updating, copying, color-coding Materials!! – creating samples, organizing packets, updating, copying, color-coding Angry customers Angry customers Handling e-mails Handling e-mails And more! And more!

34. Self-Help Center Resources www.legalselfhelp.ca.gov www.legalselfhelp.ca.gov www.legalselfhelp.ca.gov www.courtinfo.ca.gov/programs/equalaccess/ www.courtinfo.ca.gov/programs/equalaccess/ www.courtinfo.ca.gov/programs/equalaccess/ www.selfhelpsupport.org www.selfhelpsupport.org www.selfhelpsupport.org Rutter Group/CEB Rutter Group/CEB Nolo Press & other self-help books Nolo Press & other self-help books Visit other Self-Help Centers… Visit other Self-Help Centers…