Civil Gideon

Published on: December 13, 2020

Protests, Journalists, First Amendment, and the Little Red House (Portland, OR)

By Laura Orr

Plots thicken. Yes, they do. The “little red house” saga in Portland, Oregon, is a perfect example.

One article by journalists working with Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) summed up What We Know So Far, as of December 10, 2020, which, as you know if you continue to follow the story, had to be updated the next day and the next day and ….

The lesson to be learned here is always to listen, breathe, stop, read, research, listen, stop, sleep, read, and breathe again before you decide where you stand on an (or any) idea, news story, or shouted slogan.

Continue reading →

Published on: May 29, 2020

Libraries Prepare to Answer Civil Legal Questions in Times of Crisis (60 minute webinar)

By Laura Orr

WebJunction has been teaching online for more than a decade – and they do a darn good job of it, too.

This class: “Libraries Prepare to Answer Civil Legal Questions in Times of Crisis” will be taught by 2 law librarian stars: Jenny Silbiger, State Law Librarian, Access to Justice Coordinator, Hawaii Supreme Court Law Library, and Joseph Lawson, Deputy Director, Harris County Law Library, Texas.

The live webinar is scheduled for: Thursday, June 11, 2020 / 12:00 pm Pacific, 60 minutes. (Webinar recording and course materials will be available offline to registrants shortly thereafter.)

Continue reading →

Published on: July 14, 2016

Legal Self-Help Center News in Oregon and Beyond

By Laura Orr

There is no shortage of news about SRL (self-represented litigant) service resources, here in Oregon and beyond. Two recent stories and a list of SRL service provider resources:

Legal self-help in Bend (Deschutes County), Oregon: Bend Bulletin article: “Is access to legal help equitable in Central Oregon? Deschutes County Circuit Court, library and attorneys to examine resources,” by Claire Withycombe, The Bulletin, April 3, 2016.
Family Law Self Help Center Expansion in the Anne Arundel (MD) County Circuit Court.(Note: Anne Arundel is pronounced “an-a-RUN-dal”) (Now ask me how to pronounce Monongahela and Schuylkill)

Continue reading →

Published on: December 23, 2014

ABA 2014 Commission on the Future of Legal Services

By Laura Orr

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.]

Published on: July 28, 2014

Access to Justice? “Change afoot in American civil justice system” (Legal Rebels)

By Laura Orr

“Change afoot in American civil justice system,” Jul 22, 2014, by Rebecca Love Kourlis (former justice of the Colorado Supreme Court).

Excerpt:

“…. Due process in the American civil justice system is like sweet green grass: It is essential to our lifeblood, but too much can be deadly. Beginning in 2008, the profession began to sound the alarm that the civil justice system was indeed in danger of foundering. The ABA Section of Litigation was part of that chorus. More than 3,000 members of the section participated in a survey (PDF), which found that:

Continue reading →