4/15/2023 0 Comments Bar access![]() Its signature enhancement is broader community and public outreach and participation. To achieve this, the report recommended adequate resources at every step of the process and a legal system that is clear and easily navigable regardless of whether one is represented by a lawyer.Ģ021: In January, the Supreme Court approved the task force’s recommendation to create a standing Justice for All Commission designed to build upon the work of the earlier task forces. Hicks for a bootson-the-ground view of a new paradigm for serving clients and expanding access.Ģ019: Because of prior partnerships and successful collaborations already in place, the Supreme Court had a core group of knowledgeable stakeholders ready to help lead the way when the Court formed the Justice for All Task Force anchored by the State Bar, the Michigan State Bar Foundation, and the Michigan Legal Help program.Ģ020: With an aspirational goal of achieving 100% access to justice, the Justice for All Task Force report concluded that the goal could only be met when everyone has access to meaningful and effective help navigating and resolving their civil legal needs through a continuum of appropriate services. ![]() Check out “Limited-Scope Practice in Michigan: Tales from the Field” by Angela Tripp and Krenissa D. MLH has grown in proficiency and impact with the support of the Michigan Supreme Court, State Bar, and Michigan State Bar Foundation and now has a well-earned national recognition for excellence.Ģ014: With more than 150 participants actively involved in committees and workgroups, the 21st Century Practice Task Force inspired access to justice initiatives throughout the state including online dispute resolution, modest means programming for the State Bar lawyer referral service, and limited scope representation. Here is how Michigan’s recent history positions us for this breakthrough moment:ġ995: The SBM Access to Justice Task Force work led to the development of the Access to Justice Campaign, a collaborative fundraising campaign administered by the Michigan State Bar Foundation to increase resources for civil legal aid and promote Legal Services Corporation funding and pilot projects that helped to establish the statewide Counsel and Advocacy Law Line.Ģ009: The broad scope of the State Bar Judicial Crossroads Task Force opened the door to seeding advancements on several fronts related to access to justice including problem-solving courts, language access, indigent defense reform, and statewide self-help initiatives.Ģ010: Building on the Judicial Crossroads Task Force work, Chief Justice Marilyn Kelly formed a Solutions on Self-Help (SOS) Task Force to promote centralization, coordination, and quality of support for self-represented litigants.Ģ012: The Michigan Legal Help (MLH) Program, developed through the work of the SOS Task Force, launched. ![]() The addition of the State Planning Body in 2001 supported statewide coordination and reinforced Michigan’s partnerships to grow access to justice. Pappas, explains how interest on lawyers’ trust accounts, one of MSBF’s essential tools, continues to play an essential role in advancing access to justice and how you can help. The article, “IOLTA: An Opportunity to Increase Access to Justice,” by Jennifer Bentley and Edward H. The creation of the Michigan State Bar Foundation (MSBF) by bar leaders in 1987 sharpened Michigan’s focus on access to justice. In 1935, the state created the strongest possible infrastructure for access to justice work by incorporating the State Bar of Michigan into the justice system: the Supreme Court would set the rules and oversee regulatory operations, and the State Bar would advance attorneys’ ethical obligations and the practice of law. I know of no other state that has been able to build a stronger network of partnerships regarding access to justice initiatives. Michigan has long been a national leader in access to justice. More good news: our history gives us plenty of reason to believe Michigan is exceptionally well positioned to take advantage of this moment. And the pandemic that has so profoundly and comprehensively disrupted, well … everything has freed up our imaginations to see new pathways to meaningful and universal access to justice. Rapidly developing technology offers ways to provide elements of legal services “to scale ” that is, more affordably. The good news is that there is reason to believe we may have arrived at a breakthrough moment. In case you needed a reminder, this issue makes clear how far we still must go, despite centuries of effort. Facilitating justice has always been the singular purpose of our profession and in modern times, we have been working under an explicit ethical obligation to promote access to justice for all who need it. I can’t think of a better topic for the Journal’s centennial edition. Welcome to the access to justice issue of the Michigan Bar Journal.
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