Why does A2J exist?
Every year, 80% of low-income people have legal needs that go unmet – despite the best efforts of legal aid organizations. But there are two great resources that could narrow that gap: technology and law students. The A2J Student Editorial Board was launched in the Spring of 2006 so that law students could use technology to help people who want to represent themselves in court. The Board is responsible for the continual production of guided document assembly interviews for publication on www.illinoislegalaid.org.
How does A2J help self-represented litigants?
Students on the A2J Editorial Board create online, user-friendly Guided Interviews to help self-represented litigants fill out court forms. (These forms include everything from pleadings to requests for fee relief to documents that may not be actual court forms, but can be used to notify another party of the litigant’s issue or legal status.) A Guided Interview asks a litigant a series of logical questions; the litigant types in his or her responses and, when the interview is complete, prints out the form or document.
How does A2J create Guided Interviews?
To create a Guided Interview, the Editorial Board works with legal experts to identify forms commonly used by self-represented litigants. A Board member then researches and summarizes law related to a particular court form. Next, the board member creates the Guided Interview using an easy and innovative program called A2J Author®. (Don’t be intimidated – if you can use Microsoft Word, you can use A2J Author!) After review by an expert, these interviews are posted on the websites of various states’ legal aid organizations. If you want, you can learn more about the specifics of the process.
Why join the Editorial Board?
There are at least three great reasons to join the Editorial Board. First, a Board Member’s work widely benefits the community; in 2009, over 9,000 people have used Guided Interview to fill out court forms. Second, each Board Member gains intimate knowledge of a specific area of public interest law through the research and design of an interview. Third, a Board Member learns cutting-edge legal technology through interview creation. These benefits complement the standard legal education and give students a way of distinguishing their resumé. Plus, Board Members get to work with other students also dedicated to serving the public. All of these add up to a great experience!
How can you join the Editorial Board?
At the beginning of each semester, the Student Editorial Board evaluates the status of previous members to determine the quantity of available positions. Applicants should submit their resume and will be interviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and the Managing Editor. Interested applicants should apply.
The A2J Student Editorial Board is an organization affiliated with Chicago-Kent College of Law and the Center for Access to Justice and Technology.
About A2J