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Helping People Help Themselves: Pro Se Assistance Initiatives
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Transcript of Helping People Help Themselves: Pro Se Assistance Initiatives
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Helping People Help Themselves: Pro Se Assistance
InitiativesAl Schwartz
Executive Director - [email protected]
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About CARPLS
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Overview of CARPLS
Legal aid hotline
50,000 client services in FY09
Primarily telephone-based service
Advice desks operated at 4 locations in the City
Thirty attorneys on staff, many part-time
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CARPLS Advice Desks
Domestic Relations Advice Desk
Collection Advice Desk
Municipal Court Advice Desk
Administrative Hearings Advice Desk
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Software support
Recent redesign of our case management software to support volunteer attorneys
Provides detailed canned answers to specific legal questions
Written specifically from the point of view of a hotline attorney
Incorporates CARPLS’ philosophy and policies
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Domestic Relations
Advice Desk
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Domestic Relations Desk: Overview
In operation for 7 years
Monday through Friday from 9:00AM -1:00PM
30th Floor, Daley Center
3 Staff Attorneys, 1 Intake Coordinator & 1 Paralegal
5,500 client services in FY 09
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Domestic Relations Desk: Intake
First-Come-First Served, No appointments
Quick Screen Performed by Intake Coordinator on CLASS case management software
Check for conflicts of interest
Confirm eligibility for service (up to 200% of the Poverty Level)
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Domestic Relations Desk: Consultations
Consultations conducted by experienced family law staff attorneys
Average Consultation: 45 Minutes
Services include:
Legal Advice (52%)
Drafting of Legal Documents/Self-Help Packets (38%)
Legal Aid Referrals (10%)
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Domestic Relations Desk: Self-Help
Targets simple, uncontested family law matters (pre and post-decree)
Petitions for Dissolutions = 80% of all self-help drafting
Divorce by Agreement
Divorce by Publication
“No Issues” Divorce
Joint Simplified Divorce
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Domestic Relations Desk: Outcomes
Draft 80 Self-Help Divorce Packets Per Month/1,000 Self-Help Divorce Packets Per Year
88% Clients follow through with Self-Help Divorce by filing their Petition for Dissolution
97% Clients who file their Petition for Dissolution obtained a divorce
Average Court Case: 7 weeks
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Collect Advice Desk
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Collection Desk: Overview
In operation for 3 years
Monday through Friday from 9:00AM -12:30PM
Courtroom 1401, Daley Center
2 Staff Attorneys, 1-2 Law Student/Attorney Volunteers & 1 Intake Coordinator
3,200 client services in FY 09
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Collection Desk: Consultations
Consultations conducted by staff attorneys and law student & private attorney volunteers
Average Consultation: 15 Minutes
Services include:
Legal Advice (85%)
Legal Aid Referrals (15%)
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Collection Desk: Outcomes
Main Outcome: Educate clients about their rights and responsibilities
Bank Freeze Exemption Granted: 88% of Desk cases
Wage Garnishment Exemption/Reduction Granted: 43% of Desk cases
Citation to Discovery Assets Dismissed: 95% of Desk cases
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Municipal Court Advice Desk
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Municipal Court Desk: Overview
In operation since 1987. Formerly run by Chicago-Kent Law School. CARPLS took over management in March 2008
Monday through Friday from 8:30AM -4:30PM
Room 602, Daley Center
3 Staff Attorneys, 1-2 Law Student/Attorney Volunteers & 1 Intake Coordinator
7,200 client services in FY 09
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Municipal Court Desk: Intake
First-Come-First Served, No appointments
Quick Screen Performed by Intake Coordinator on CLASS case management software
Check for conflicts of interest
Confirm eligibility for service (up to 300% of the Poverty Level)
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Municipal Court Desk: Consultations
Consultations conducted by staff attorneys and law student & private attorney volunteers
Average Consultation: 45 Minutes
Services include:
Legal Advice (85%)
Legal Drafting/Self-Help Packets
Legal Aid Referrals (15%)
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Go Bono: Benefit to CARPLS
Develop relationship with firms
High payoff - 20 volunteers at once per firm
Low-impact on overhead - volunteering done from their office not ours
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Go Bono: Challenges during pilot I
Conflicts of interest
Business concerns
Getting high-level leaders at firm to support and drive project
Much more on-site supervision required than we initially thought
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Go Bono: Challenges during Pilot II
Getting individual attorneys to comply with our training requirements
Loss of interest after initial burst
Identifying leaders within the volunteer base
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Other volunteers
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‘Random volunteers’Individuals who fill a specialized need
Foreign-licensed lawyer who provides supervised assistance to Spanish speaking clients
Paralegal volunteer to assist with some intake work
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Challenges with individual volunteers
Difficult to manage
Supervision required on a
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Lessons learned: Volunteer programsGo Bono will biggest impact to our program in terms of serving greatest number of clients at lowest cost
Go Bono also requires much more work on the front end to get it going
Individual volunteers outside of Nightline and Go Bono are rarely worth the time commitment required by staff
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Lessons Learned: Go BonoTakes much more on-site staff time than we initially thought
Biggest issue for firm leadership is conflicts of interest
Biggest issue for CARPLS is getting firm leadership to commit a sufficient number of volunteer attorneys on a regular basis