In Tuesday’s State of the Judiciary Address, Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman highlighted the work of the Committee on Non-Lawyers and the Justice Gap (which includes Pro Bono Net’s Executive Director, Mark O’Brien) in his announcement, including pioneering new efforts that will better serve the unrepresented.
For example, in the Bronx and Brooklyn, Court Navigators will give legal information to pro se litigants in select cases. This pilot project will use trained volunteer non-lawyers.
Additionally, in a collaborative effort between Albany Law School and the SUNY-Albany School of Social Welfare, a new program will be launched to provide legal information to seniors with a particular focus on the homebound. Pro Bono Net and LawHelpNY are excited to be a part of these innovative initiatives and commend Justice Lippman and the New York Unified Court System for their continued commitment to closing the justice gap.
For more on these programs, check out the always informative Richard Zorza’s recent write-up on his Access to Justice blog.