SU Law: Increasing Access to Justice Through Technology, Bob Cohen
- March 26th, 2008
- Posted in Bob Cohen . Public Interest . SFFC . SU Law
- By Brian Rowe
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Bob Cohen gave a great talk today at Seattle University Law on using technology to reach under-served populations. Here are my notes on the talk:
The general rule you need to keep in mind when working with low income folks is that only 20 percent have access to legal services. This means that access to justice is not the reality in the system and that the justice system may be viewed negatively due to the real lack of access.
Orange County uses a three tier approach to providing legal services:
- 1st Tier – Initial Access = Once people access the system it is often very late in the legal process. A key is getting connected with people ASAP in the legal process. For Orange County this means providing hotlines where people can call in with issues and physical locations where people can come and ask questions.
- 2nd Tier – Interactive Community Assistance Network I-CAN! This is a system that works with clients to create documents to file directly with a court. This was extended to IRS tax filings in 2004 which directly helps households file taxes and gain earn income tax credits. www.icanefile.org
- 3rd Tier – Access to attorneys – This is primarily for individuals who are facing actions in court. Unfortunately only 30 to 40 percent of the need is meet at this level due to financial limits.
Beyond providing services Bob also focused on how to communicate your message for the public. One of those strategies is the communicate through new media. An example of this the Maria Shriver EITC Initiative You-Tube video.
This provides a way to both educate the public about programs and a proactive media approach for creating a positive image of the program. This event was hosted by Public Interest Law Foundation and Students for Free Culture.
