Access to Justice Commission
NH Access to Justice Commission Releases its 2022 Annual Report
The Commission co-chairs recently submitted the 2022 Annual Report to the NH Supreme Court to highlight the Commission's accomplishments and to provide a glimpse into future plans. It discusses how the 2022 strategic plan intentionally expanded on the 2021 success in restructuring members into focused task forces with specific goals linked to the Justice Index. It also describes 2022 “Wins” achieved in civil legal needs, court navigators, improvements in ADA compliance, and substantive changes to fees and fines procedures. Other work focused on paralegal representation (HB 1343) and voluntary pro-bono reporting. The Commission Task Forces will continue to improve civil legal aid, user-friendly courts, and pro bono, among others. Furthermore, the 2023 plans will continue the Commission’s good work with the implementation of ARPA A2J.
Read the complete NH Access to Justice 2022 Annual Report for additional information.
The Commission Lauds New Court Initiative
The NH Law Library recently launched an access to justice initiative that provides the public free access to Westlaw – a highly regarded legal research tool used by US and international attorneys and others seeking to understand legal issues better. Commission co-chair Attorney Mark C. Rouvalis expressed appreciation for the court’s innovative approach to increasing public access to legal information, noting that the service benefits people with disabilities, low-income residents, and the elderly. Read the entire story here.
From Proposal to Pilot – The NH Access to Justice Commission Supports Court Navigators
In 2020, the NH Access to Justice Commission submitted a Court Navigator Pilot Program proposal to the NH Supreme Court. The subsequent collaboration between the Commission and the Courts yielded results: The NH legislature approved funding for two court navigator positions for FY22/23. This important milestone enabled the NH Circuit Court to begin implementing the Program in 2021 that is successfully underway in Nashua District Court. Read the full story in the NH Bar News, “A Personal Touch - Court Navigator in Nashua Provides Legal Information and Individual Support”
Equal Access to Justice: An Assessment of Civil Legal Needs in New Hampshire
A new study of civil legal needs in New Hampshire assesses the kinds of civil legal problems faced by Granite Staters and their experiences seeking low and no cost legal help. The civil legal needs assessment was sponsored by the New Hampshire Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission.
NH Free Legal Answers Now Recruiting Attorney Volunteers
NH Free Legal Answers is here and open for attorney registrations! Registering is very simple—go to NH.freelegalanswers.org and click on “Attorney Registration” found in the horizontal bar across the top. Please note that for now Google will likely take you to ABA Free Legal Answers first, where you simple select New Hampshire as your state.
Free Legal Answers is a virtual legal advice clinic. Qualifying users post their civil legal question to their state's website. Users will then be emailed when their question receives a response. Attorney volunteers, who must be authorized to provide pro bono assistance in their state, log in to the website, select questions to answer, and provide legal information and advice. Volunteer attorneys will not answer criminal law questions.
Disclaimer: The Access to Justice Commission does not provide legal services or referrals for lawyers.