Recommended reading for anyone who thinks more tech, online forms, and better legal design will substitute for professional legal services, i.e. People Need Lawyers (and lawyers in public service need more support):
“They Had Access, But They Didn’t Get Justice: Why Prevailing Access To Justice Initiatives Fail Rural Americans,” by Michele Statz, Hon. Robert Friday, and Jon Bredeson, published in:
Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy, Volume XXVIII, Number 3, Spring 2021, 321
Oregon lawyers have a network of legal assistance nonprofits, legal aid, and other legal organizations where you can get legal advice from licensed Oregon lawyers in good standing with the Oregon State Bar.
Oregon county law librarians (OCCLL) and friends, with the help of our legal aid and non-profit law firm lawyer partners, have created a Legal Assistance Resource Guide, which you can find:
1) From the Washington County Law Library How to Find a Lawyer webpage (click on the Legal Assistance Resource Guide link). And see also this linked page, which has additional tips on how to find a lawyer: What To Do When You Think You Need A Lawyer.
TED Talk: “How to Put the Power of Law in People’s Hands”
Summary:
“What can you do when the wheels of justice don’t turn fast enough? Or when they don’t turn at all? Vivek Maru is working to transform the relationship between people and law, turning law from an abstraction or threat into something that everyone can understand, use and shape. Instead of relying solely on lawyers, Maru started a global network of community paralegals, or barefoot lawyers, who serve in their own communities and break the law down into simple terms to help people find solutions….” [Link to Vivek Maru’s TED Talk Reading List, and link to more TED Talks on justice, law, and crime.]
Commission on the Future of Legal Services website and report.
“Background: Easy access to affordable legal services is critical in a society based on the rule of law. Yet our courts are seriously underfunded. Legal proceedings are growing more expensive, time-consuming, and complex. Many who need legal advice cannot afford to hire a lawyer and are forced to represent themselves….” [Link to website and report.]
Oregon Legal Research Blog