National Center For Access To Justice Inc

THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR ACCESS TO JUSTICE IS THE ACADEMICALLY AFFILIATED NATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT RELIES ON DATA TO ACCOMPLISH POLICY REFORMS THAT HELP PEOPLE OBTAIN ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN THE CIVIL AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS. THE CENTER PARTNERS WITH THE BAR, JUDICIARY, LAW SCHOOLS, THE LEGAL SERVICES COMMUNITY, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. THE CENTER'S TOOLS INCLUDE LITIGATION, BOOKS AND REPORTS, PUBLIC EDUCATION AND PUBLIC ADVOCACY, CONFERENCES, AND LEGISLATIVE DRAFTING.

SEE SCHEDULE O SIGNATURE PROJECTS THE JUSTICE INDEX PROJECT THE JUSTICE INDEX, JUSTICEINDEX.ORG, IS A WEB-BASED SYSTEM IN WHICH WE PRESENT DATA SHOWING THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE 50 STATES, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND PUERTO RICO, HAVE ADOPTED BEST POLICIES FOR ASSURING ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR ALL. THIS PROJECT ASSUMES PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS FUNCTION BEST WHEN PEOPLE UNDERSTAND HOW THEY OPERATE, WHEN PERFORMANCE CAN BE EVALUATED, AND WHEN ANALOGOUS INSTITUTIONS ARE COMPARED. BY SETTING BENCHMARKS, IDENTIFYING BEST POLICIES AND PRACTICES, AND PUBLISHING DATA, THE JUSTICE INDEX EMPOWERS JUDGES, COURT ADMINISTRATORS, (CONTINUED IN PART 4B)

OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, JOURNALISTS, ACADEMICS, ACTIVISTS, AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN THEIR RESPECTIVE EFFORTS TO IMPROVE OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE JUSTICE INDEX CURRENTLY FOCUSES ON FOUR CATEGORIES, SPECIFICALLY ATTORNEY ACCESS, SELF- REPRESENTED LITIGANT ACCESS, LANGUAGE ACCESS, AND DISABILITY ACCESS, BUT IS BEING EXPANDED INTO ADDITIONAL AREAS THAT MAY INCLUDE BEST POLICIES FOR REGULATING THE USE OF GOVERNMENT IMPOSED FINES AND FEES, BEST POLICIES FOR REGULATING PRO BONO, BEST POLICIES FOR STATES TO ASSURE THE PROTECTION OF IMMIGRANTS' RIGHTS. THE RESEARCH PROJECT WE ARE COMMITTED TO USING RESEARCH AND DATA(CONTINUED IN PART 4C)

TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NEW MODELS FOR ACCESS TO JUSTICE. WE WORK WITH SOCIAL SCIENTISTS, CARRY OUT OUR OWN RESEARCH PROJECTS, SERVES S A LIAISON BETWEEN THE SOCIAL SCIENCE COMMUNITY AND THE LEGAL AID, BAR, AND COURT COMMUNITIES, AND ARE ALSO HELPING TO FACILITATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GOAL 16 OF THE UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA, WHICH CALLS ON ALL COUNTRIES TO DRAW ON THE "DATA REVOLUTION" TO ESTABLISH "INDICATORS" AS A MEANS OF MEASURING PROGRESS TO ASSURE ACCESS TO JUSTICE. THE NEW MODELS PROJECT IN RESPONSE TO THE JUSTICE GAP, COURTS AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES ARE IMPLEMENTING NEW MODELS INTENDED TO HELP EXPAND ACCESS TO JUSTICE. THESE INCLUDE NEW ROLES FOR JUDGES, NEW ROLES FOR LAWYERS, NEW ROLES FOR COURT OFFICIALS, NEW "SELF-HELP CENTERS", NEW COMPUTER KIOSKS WITH AUTOMATED FORMS, NEW "E-FILING OPTIONS", NEW APPLICATIONS THAT RELY ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND NEW ROLES FOR "NON-LAWYERS" (INCLUDING "NAVIGATORS", "COURT ADVOCATES", "COMMUNITY BASED PARALEGALS", "LIMITED LICENSED LEGAL TECHNICIANS"). THE MODELS ALSO INCLUDE "A CIVIL RIGHT TO COUNSEL." WE SUPPORT SELECTED NEW MODELS FOR ACCESS TO JUSTICE, INCLUDING THROUGH A) DEVELOPING NEW ROLES FOR NON-LAWYERS, B) WRITING A MEMORANDUM PERIODICALLY ON THE MOVEMENT TO EXPAND ACCESS TO JUSTICE, C) CARRYING OUT RESEARCH, INCLUDING AS A CONSULTANT TO SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH PROJECTS EXAMINING THE ROLE OF JUDGES AND NON-LAWYERS "NAVIGATORS" IN HOUSING COURT, D) MAINTAINING THE JUSTICE INDEX IN WHICH STATES ARE RANKED BASED ON THEIR DEGREE OF ADOPTION OF SELECTED BEST MODELS FOR ACCESS TO JUSTICE, AND ENGAGING WITH THE PRESS AND THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE PROS AND CONS OF THE NEW MODELS. LANGUAGE ACCESS COURTS FUNCTION ADEQUATELY ONLY WHEN JUDGES, WITNESSES, PARTIES AND OTHER PEOPLE UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER IN THE COURTROOM AND AT CLERKS' DESKS. WHEN PARTICIPANTS HAVE LIMITED PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH, LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED. WE WORK TO ENSURE THAT COURTS, LAWYERS, LITIGANTS, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF ADEQUATE LANGUAGE ACCESS IN THE COURTS. OUR JUSTICE INDEX INCLUDES A LANGUAGE ACCESS SUB-INDEX THAT IS ROUTINELY USED BY GOVERNMENT, COURT OFFICIALS, REPORTERS, AND THE PUBLIC TO PROMOTE SELECTED BEST PRACTICES FOR INTERPRETING AND TRANSLATING IN STATE COURT SYSTEMS. THE LEGAL EDUCATION PROJECT NCAJ EDUCATES THE NATIONAL LAW SCHOOL COMMUNITY AND THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCESS TO JUSTICE, DOING SO BY WORKING WITH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS IN THE LEGAL ACADEMIC COMMUNITY. NCAJ ALSO INVITES STUDENTS, PROFESSORS, STAFF AND OTHERS TO PARTICIPATE IN ITS PROJECTS. .