Access to justice symposium focuses on SRLS
October 23, 2015
Julie Macfarlane
Western Law’s second annual Access to Justice Symposium focused on the growing issue of self-represented litigants (SRLs) in the family courts. The conference, held in March, brought together a diverse group of stakeholders and lawyers, to discuss the challenges that are caused — and faced — by SRLs.
Windsor Law Professor Julie Macfarlane’s keynote address introduced the National Self-Represented Litigants Project and presented findings from the research study. Macfarlane noted that a troublingly high percentage of litigants in the family court system are self-represented. Self-representation can be difficult and even traumatic for litigants, and burdensome for the court.
Participants at the symposium worked in groups to discuss some of the problems inherent to the SRL phenomenon, and to envision solutions. These solutions included promoting mediation over litigation; offering “unbundled” services to SRLs; carefully managing the expectations of SRLs and clients alike; offering interdisciplinary services to potential litigants; and creating self-help materials and resources in plain language and accessible formats.
While the discussions that evolved over the course of the day represented many differing points of view, there was consensus on at least one issue: SRLs are here to stay, for better or worse, and it is the responsibility of family law practitioners to ensure their access to justice.
“Access to justice is the legal issue of this generation,” said Community Legal Services director Doug Ferguson, “and faith in the justice system is crucial for the health of our democracy.”
This article appeared in the Western Law 2015 Alumni Magazine.
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