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SRL Committee investigating remote access to courts and creating guides and resources
to help judges navigate virtual court.
Judge Jeffrey Cashe, Chair
Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread court closures, the SRL
Committee collected and shared informational resources available to help courts and service
providers assist self-represented litigants. This Committee met on January 12, 2021 and
discussed issues surrounding remote access to courts and will work on creating guides and
resources to help judges & SRLs navigate virtual court. The Committee also discussed the
LSBA’s Justice for All Project and incorporating the priority activities into the Committee’s
work plan. The SRL Committee also began planning a virtual SRL series of CLEs. Finally, the
SRL Committee continues to work with the Technology Committee and the Supreme Court’s
Technology Commission on various initiatives where technology affects SRLs.

Building Bridges Committee - 2020 accomplishments and 2021 plans
Adrienne Wheeler, Chair
In 2020 the Building Bridges Committee developed an education campaign on new laws
affecting reentry legal needs, including a webinar, article, and interactive breakout session at
the 2020 Louisiana Justice Community Conference. These reentry legislative updates include
laws affecting Letters of Incarceration, Expungements, Child Support, and Solitary
Confinement. In the coming year, the Committee plans to develop an educational pamphlet
that outlines highest priority legal needs and resources available to address those needs and
will continue to work with the Louisiana Prisoner Reentry Initiative’s Legal Subcommittee on
issues related to detainers.

Language Access Committee creates interpreter services brochure and continues
working with Supreme Court Office of Language Access on implementation of Court’s
recently adopted Language Access Plan.
Professor Luz Molina, Chair
The Language Access Committee continues to work with the Supreme Court’s Office of
Language Access (OLA) and its Stakeholder Committee on the implementation phase of the
statewide Language Access Plan, which was approved by the Louisiana Supreme Court in
September. This Committee drafted a brochure for requesting interpreter services from the
court. The brochure is being distributed electronically to courthouses throughout the state. The
Language Access Committee is working with direct service providers to compile the vital
documents used in each court in various parishes, which the OLA will translate into the
languages most prevalent in those parishes. This Committee, through its Rules Subcommittee,
is also in the process of researching court rules and state law to draft recommendations for
revision in accordance with the Language Access Plan.

Modest Means Directory views continue to increase month-to-month and in year-to-year
comparison
Professor Virginia Listach, Chair
The number of Modest Means Directory views continues to increase with the total number of
views since the launch of the program in April 2018 at 5,681. In 2020, the Directory saw a 5%
increase in views when compared to 2019, with large spikes in viewership in June, July,
August, November, and December.