Access to Justice Strategies

Those who find themselves involved in our legal system should be able to meaningfully participate—without having to incur unnecessarily high expenses for lawyers or other legal services. They should be able to understand what steps to follow, have realistic expectations, and know how to ask for relief from the court. Unfortunately, it is often the case that our courts and legal services providers are inaccessible to most. Complicated processes created by and for lawyers, complex forms, legal language, and myriad other barriers effectively leave out many from accessing our legal system.

LWR can help your court or program address these challenges with services such as:

• Comprehensive assessment of policies, procedures, and operations at all relevant locations and services
• Identification of gaps, barriers, inefficiencies, lack of training, and other issues
• Specific recommendations as to changes or improvements in all areas assessed
• Identification of existing resources for addressing gaps and needed improvements which may be adapted at no or low cost
• Creation of tools, training, or other strategies for addressing problems

Language Access Planning

Every court system in the country is facing increasing numbers of limited-English speakers needing to avail themselves of court programs and services. Courts have to find ways to ensure that their most vulnerable populations, including limited-English speakers, are able to access their services.

Courts must provide comprehensive, meaningful, and high quality language access services, including the use of bilingual staff, translated information (written, video, and audio), and court interpreters. To provide these services, courts must establish clear policies and implement systemic efficiencies, effective and innovative practices, and develop new strategies to successfully serve an increasingly diverse population. Making the courts more accessible to all court users benefits not just a particular court’s constituents, but the court system as a whole by enhancing trust and confidence in a responsive judiciary.

LWR has extensive experience working with courts throughout the country to address:

• Development of comprehensive language access plans and policies
• Provision of quality language access services at all points of contact between an individual and the court system
• Strategies for working effectively with various professionals providing language access services
• Training of judicial officers and court staff on language access policies and practical implementation
• Collaborations between courts and communities to improve responsiveness and effectiveness of outreach and services
• Language access planning accountability mechanisms
• Practical tools to enable courts to provide meaningful access in the most cost-effective and efficient manner
• The responsible and appropriate use of technology for providing language access