Winner of the 2008 Louis M. Brown and 2007 Howell Heflin Awards

Chicago-Kent College of Law established the Center for Access to Justice & Technology (CAJT) to make justice more accessible to the public by promoting the use of the Internet in the teaching, practice, and public access to the law. The Center conducts research, builds software tools, teaches classes and supports faculty, staff and student projects on access to justice and technology. Currently, CAJT manages and promotes the Access to Justice Author™, leads the A2J Student Editorial Board (A2J-SEB), and directs the Self-Help Web Center (SHWC). In addition to these activities and initiatives, CAJT also administers the Certificate in Public Interest Law.

One focus of CAJT is to assist pro se litigants obtain greater access to justice. Many self-represented litigants, even in simple cases, struggle to navigate through an unfamiliar and procedurally complex court system. From 1998-2001, Chicago-Kent studied self- represented litigants in five courts across the country. Based on the results of that study, CAJT partnered with the Center for Computer Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI) to create a unique software tool entitled, Access to Justice Author™. This tool allows the technically savvy lawyer or law school student to build A2J Guided Interviews™. A2J Guided Interviews™ are online, graphical interfaces able to collect data from self-represented litigants. A2J Guided Interviews™ increase access to justice by completing document assembly processes, feeding e-filing systems and populating client databases using the collected information.

Student involvement is important to the continued success of CAJT. There are many ways in which students can get involved with CAJT. For example, SHWC student volunteers facilitate self-represented litigant's search for legal information. While volunteering, these students have the opportunity to gain real-world experience by working directly with litigants. Additionally, CAJT sponsors A2J-SEB. Similar to a law review board in its structure, A2J-SEB is a student-run Chicago-Kent initiative that focuses on training students to use A2J Author™, creating A2J Author™ interviews and researching access to justice issues. Students are also encouraged to pursue positions within CAJT itself. Students working for CAJT conduct relevant research and assist the support of CAJT's unique programs.