Title Best Practices for Online Document Assembly Moderators – Claudia Johnson Pro Bono Net Rachel Medina LSNTAP

Title Best Practices for Online Title Best Practices for Online Document AssemblyDocument Assembly

Moderators – Claudia JohnsonPro Bono Net

Rachel MedinaLSNTAP

PanelistsBrett Harrison, Colorado Legal

Services, ColoradoSheila Fisher, North Penn Legal

Services PennsylvaniaMary Neal, Illinois Legal Aid

Online, ILDiane Trunk, Neighborhood

Legal Aid, Los Angeles, CA

AgendaOverview of LawHelp InteractiveColorado: brief intro to document

assembly, deployment of forms, outreach and outreach tracking, desktop forms for advocates and online forms for SRLs

North Penn: developing and using online forms for volunteer lawyers

Illinois: virtual self help centers and forms, and managing the production of large set of forms

NPLS: using LHI forms in a DV clinic inside a court based self help center

Users of LawHelp Interactive Forms

Areas of law by generated document 2009Family law approx 58,321 Food Programs approx 5,535Housing 8,683Consumer approx 6,301

Total 147, 063

States with new LHI Content: Guam, Colorado, Minnesota

Colorado

Minnesota

Brett HarrisonDatabase/Special Technology Project Administrator

Colorado Legal Services

Document Assembly PracticesOnline and Desktop5.4.2010

Brett HarrisonDatabase/Special Technology Project Administrator

Colorado Legal Services

Online – A2J & HotDocs

A2J Author®

◦ User friendly◦ Front end◦ Collects data

HotDocs®

◦ Produces document◦ Front and/or Back

end◦ Processes data

Hosted by LawHelp Interactive (LHI)

Online – Content Choice

Fee Waiver, Small Claims, Temporary P.O., Dissolution, Answer to Eviction

Referred to previous I-CAN! modulesState and County Court AdministratorsPro Se statisticsLess complex areas/situations

Online - Statistics

Online – OutreachColorado Legal Services Website

Online – OutreachColorado Judicial Branch

Website

Links to Fee Waiver, Small Claims, TPO

Online – Outreach

Library site visits and calls

Flier distribution

Advocates statewide taking fliers to other outreach opportunities

Online – OutreachCLS E-Newsletter

Online – StatisticsVertical Response

Online – User Feedback

“Very helpful wouldn’t have known how to do a small claims filing procedure without help!” – April 2010

“This was EXTREMELY helpful and easy to use! THANK YOU!!!!” – March 2010

“Very helpful and made it a lot easier to do than the form at the co.gov site plus I could save the filled out form on my PC! Thanks!” – March 2010

“This saved me a trip & a lot of time” – March 2010

“Very helpful and easy to understand” – January 2010

Message from a user that the $20 they saved by not having to buy the form can now be used to buy food for their kids

Desktop Document AssemblyWhat is it good for?

◦Saves Time◦Increases Accuracy◦Minimizes Risk◦Promotes Consistency

HotDocs® front end and back end

Interface with CMS

Desktop – History

Began as MS Word/Kemps merge project

Based on common forms/letters

HotDocs® licenses donated

Unit and individualized training

Desktop – Demo

Demo of integration with CMS

Desktop – Future

User feedback & suggestions

Ongoing development & training

Promotion & awareness

Desktop – User Feedback

One of our paralegals is using it, and it sounds great! She loves it. I hope to become familiar with it too. It generates all kind of documents for her with a keystroke!

I use HotDocs daily for the over income requests and I also love it. Makes it a very simple task.

I use HotDocs daily and love it. I generate forms and letters daily. I encourage my staff to do the same, but with mixed results.

It is still the best tool I have and I can’t imagine not using it!!!!

Staffing & Resources

Development, Review, Testing, Maintenance

Funding◦Online – LSC TIG grant◦Desktop – General CLS funds

Support & resources◦Online – Courts, Libraries, Attorneys, LHI◦Desktop – Internal server, network,

cooperation◦HotDocs® donation

Mary NealAutomated Documents Manager

Illinois Legal Aid [email protected]

Sheila FisherNorth Penn Legal Services

PA

Web-based Legal Self-Help CentersState of Illinois

39 of Illinois’ 102 Counties have Legal Self-Help Centers

Of the 39 Legal Self-Help Centers …

• 38 are internet-based

• 21 are housed in local public libraries

13 more Centers are in planning (to open within the next 12 months)

Of the 13 Centers opening soon, 10 will be housed in public libraries

Web-Based Legal Self-Help Centers in Illinois

Planning

Secure funding, if needed

Establish a Local Planning Committee

Facilitate planning process

Web-Based Legal Self-Help Centers in Illinois

Implementation

Opening/Press Conference

Training

• Ethics

• Website Demo

Ongoing Support

• Listserv

• Monthly email updates

Managing Projects with Multiple Participants

Defined responsibilitiesDefined responsibilitiesDefined scopeDefined scopeCentralized record of communicationsCentralized record of communicationsCentralized file sharing systemCentralized file sharing system

Defined responsibilitiesDefined responsibilities◦If roles do not differ from project-to-If roles do not differ from project-to-

project, standing definitionproject, standing definition



Defined responsibilitiesDefined responsibilitiesDefined scopeDefined scope


Defined scopeDefined scope

For Automated Documents, this For Automated Documents, this includes:includes:◦ User Base (pro se or attorney)User Base (pro se or attorney)◦ PurposePurpose◦ Scenarios Accommodated and NOT Scenarios Accommodated and NOT

AccommodatedAccommodated◦ Output Documents and their sourceOutput Documents and their source


Defined responsibilitiesDefined responsibilitiesDefined scopeDefined scopeCentralized record of Centralized record of

communicationscommunications

◦ Discussion board is easy to use and easy to Discussion board is easy to use and easy to searchsearch




Email is NOT

File Sharing!


File Sharing is:Single Repository of Master FilesSingle Repository of Master FilesVersion controlVersion control

◦Track who made changes and whenTrack who made changes and when◦““Roll back” to earlier version if Roll back” to earlier version if

neededneeded◦Compare and resolve conflicting Compare and resolve conflicting

versions of some file typesversions of some file types



Diane TrunkStaff Attorney & DASH Coordinator

Neighborhood Legal Servicesof Los Angeles [email protected]

• 20+ years of NLS Courthouse Clinics

• DASH: 2005 Partnership between NLS & L.A. Superior Court

• Self-Help◦ Individual assistance◦Attorney review of all forms

4 clinics.Across 100 miles of L.A.Over 4,500 litigants annually.

1 staff attorney.

1. Fill out each form using Essential Forms

2. Print forms3. Litigant reviews forms4. Fax forms to off-site attorney 5. Attorney reviews forms (40+ pages

each)6. Attorney calls volunteer for changes7. Volunteer makes changes8. (Forms re-faxed for more review)9. Litigant signs forms

Observe clinic and back-up attorney.Talk to everyone involved.Try to figure out how technology can help.

Discuss conclusions.Build a program.

The answer to every question can be used consistently on every item on every form in the filing.◦Not just caption information.

Answers from one program’s interview can be used in another program. Answers from the DASH DVRO program can be used to:◦Start a Dissolution case◦Start a Parentage case

Assist with questions. Information for Litigants.

Second program produces an MS Word document. Document is emailed to back up attorney for review and editing.

Reviewer can change PDF forms by opening program and changing answers.

Lowers the amount of Attorney Review time by embedding knowledge into the program.

Increases compliance with policies and procedures.

Allows for global changes.

Better quality declarationsConsistent, accurate formsFaster forms preparationMore time to prepare the declarationProgram prints out litigant information

Faster backupEasier backupAttorney can edit declarationMobile backup – not chained to fax

Volunteers can be resistant to change.

New process was slower at first.

Need to create new training method.

Still need a stand-alone forms program.

Working with shelter advocates for off-site forms preparation.

Recruiting pro bono attorneys for in-office review of forms.

Produce Disso and Paternity forms along with restraining order request.

Continue to work on ways to use the program to expand the reach of the backup attorney increasing amount of people served while maintaining and improving quality.

www.courtinfo.ca.gov/programs/equalaccess/dash.htm

ResourcesMonthly calls—4th Tuesday of each month, 2 ET

http://www.probono.net/dasupport/calendar/event.311217-Community_Call

Next Live Template Developer Training September 16, and 17 2010 in Atlanta, hosted by the State Bar of Georgia Pro Bono Project

Website on document assembly, news, libraries, trainings, tools: http://www.probono.net/dasupport

Technical and announcement list-serves: http://www.probono.net/dasupport/groups/