Page 132 - 2022AprilBOG

Court Staff and increased availability of court forms. Committee members hosted a CLE on
Access to Justice and Self-Represented Litigants for the Third Circuit Judges Conference on
March 25, 2022. The SRL Committee is also working closely with the Louisiana Supreme
Court Technology Commission and the ATJ Technology Committee on the ATJ Forms
Automation Project to create additional forms and update existing forms to conform to recent
revisions in the law. Members from both the SRL and Technology Committees revised the
Article 103 Divorce forms–with and without children–and instructions to reflect the recent
changes in the law. The Committees also released automated versions of the forms for the 103
divorce and Adult Name Change, which were accepted by the Supreme Court and hosted on
the website. The links to the automated forms have also been circulated via the Louisiana
District Judges Association newsletter. The next meeting is scheduled for April.

Building Bridges Committee
Adrienne Wheeler, Chair
The Building Bridges Committee supports relationships between criminal and civil legal aid
communities to address legal barriers of people formerly incarcerated using a coordinated
approach. The recent work of the Building Bridges Committee includes coordinated meetings
between committee leadership, the Department of Corrections, and Department of Child and
Family Services (DCFS); release of a brochure on the new child support law and process for
suspension that DOC and DCFS recently implemented; and survey result analysis of state-by-
state practices for placing and lifting detainers. The Committee met in February to focus on
youth reentry initiatives, such as access to general and special education while in state custody
and ways the Committee can work with the LSBA Children’s Law Committee to educate
attorneys and address the issues identified. The next meeting is scheduled for May.

Language Access Committee
Luz Molina, Chair
The Language Access Committee met multiple times in February and March to discuss the
areas of law needing modification to comply with the Louisiana Supreme Court’s Language
Access Plan. At the meetings, Committee members reviewed and discussed a detailed memo
prepared by the Committee Chair highlighting the complications with treating an interpreter as
an expert and invited court interpreters to discuss interpreter qualifications and competency.
The Committee agreed to make recommendations to the Supreme Court’s Office of Language
Access Stakeholder Committee and request that they file a Resolution during this Legislative
session seeking review from the Louisiana Law Institute. The next meeting is scheduled for
May.

Modest Means Committee
Virginia Listach, Chair
The Committee met in February and discussed the completion of the Limited Scope
Representation (LSR) Toolkit for attorneys and whether clear rules on attorneys drafting
pleadings for pro se litigants would make modest means access to legal services more
accessible to modest-income litigants and attorneys who serve them. The discussion revealed
that anecdotally, while judges often appreciate SRLs coming to court with a more accurate
form, attorneys have concerns about their obligation to the client, and the possibility of being
required to represent the client beyond the limited scope representation agreed upon. The
Committee intends to continue seeking feedback from state court judges, research rule changes
made by the 40 states that allow ghostwriting, and share any relevant findings with key
stakeholders and decision-makers. The Committee’s next meeting is in April.