Page 268 - 2019 Orientation Manual

and found that a high percentage were offering affordable legal services to people falling at or
below 400% of the Federal Poverty Line. The Directory simply provides a listing of the attorneys
offering those services to those in need. In order to join the Directory, attorneys must complete a
one-hour CLE on Ethical Considerations when Representing Clients of Limited Means, fill out a
brief service that identifies the types of affordable legal options the attorney offers to people who
fall below 400% of the FPL, and fill out an online application. To date, 55 attorneys are listed,
covering 16 practice areas and 64 parishes. More than 1700 people have requested to view the
Directory since April 2018.

Self-Represented Litigants/Uniform Form Committee

This committee fosters efforts that support self-represented litigants by working with the judiciary,
local pro bono and legal aid organizations, clerks of court, statewide technology personnel, and
other justice community stakeholders, on the implementation of locally appropriate self-help
initiatives. This includes the creation of standardized forms and template resources, and ongoing
support for local self-help centers.

Self-Represented Litigant Service Provider Summit

In 2018, the SRL Committee hosted two statewide summits for court staff and self-help center
administrators. The Summit covered a wide range of topics relevant to meeting the public’s legal
needs, including legal aid partnerships, template resources, pro bono recruitment, funding sources,
and much more. Attendees learned about service and resource best practices, and also worked to
identify systemic issues and potential resources for the Commission to consider. The SRL
Committee is planning two additional summits in 2019.

Court-Based Self-Help Services

The Louisiana network of self-represented litigant services continues to expand statewide. Over
half the judicial districts in the state have partnered with the Access

to Justice Department to develop forms and other self-help resources: including “live” self-help
centers coordinated by legal aid organizations and local bar associations; online customized self-
help websites created and administered by the LSBA.

Louisiana SRL Services Networks

(Launched in partnership with individual judicial districts)

“LIVE” Self Help Centers (created in partnership with the LSBA and run locally)

9th JDC (Rapides) – administered by Central Louisiana Pro Bono Project 14th JDC
(Calcasieu) – administered by Southwest Louisiana Bar Foundation
17th JDC (Lafourche) – administered by Southeast Louisiana Legal Services
19th JDC (East Baton Rouge) – administered by the Baton Rouge Bar Association
22nd JDC (St. Tammany/Washington) – administered by Southeast Louisiana
Legal Services
24th JDC (Jefferson) – administered by The Pro Bono Project

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