November 11, 2005

Access to Justice Commission

Minutes for Retreat on November 11, 2005

Present: Constance Talmage, Kathleen Schoen, Greg Martin, Kate Arganese, John Zakhem, Pam Gagel, Darla Benford, Inga Causey, Molly French, Jon Asher, Ilene Bloom, JoAnn Vogt, Dave Butler, Gregory Hobbs, Meredith McBurney, Lynne Sholler, Ryan Call, Aaron Clay, Dan Taubman, Barney Iuppa, Jim Peters, Elizabeth Steele.

I. Approval of September 9, 2005 Minutes
The minutes from the September 9, 2005, meeting were approved by the Commission.

II. Reports

A. Kiosk Project

1. Molly French, Colorado Legal Services, gave a presentation to the Commission regarding the I-CAN Kiosk Project.  There are three counties (Adams, Boulder, and Weld County) that have adopted the Kiosks into their courthouses.  Each Kiosk is a free, self-help center for people to complete a selection of different forms in either English or Spanish: fee waivers, protection orders, small claims, and answer to an eviction.
2. The project has received positive feedback from both the courts and users.  In addition, other courts around the state have expressed interest in attaining the kiosks, and the ultimate goal of the project is to be able to fund kiosk additions in several courts.  Molly feels that a moderator at each Kiosk would make users feel more comfortable with the new technology.

B. Presentation to the General Assembly
Recently, John Zakhem, Angela Arkin, and Ryan Call gave a short presentation to about 15 members of the General Assembly regarding the mission and projects of the Access to Justice Commission.  They felt it was well received and encourage the Commission to pursue an active relationship with the legislators.  The Commission supports their findings from their presentation and will discuss other options for meeting and educating the legislators.

C. Report on Access to Justice Website
Briefly, Kate Arganese updated the Commission on changes made to their website over the last year and discussed future changes to the website.  Also, Kate discussed where they can find the pro bono programs in Colorado listed on the website, as well as her contact information for those that need to send her a document to post on the website.

III. Committee Reports

A. Education Committee

1. Ilene Bloom, Chair of the Education Committee, informed the Commission about the Committee’s newest project called Justice Corps.  The pilot of this program is currently underway in Orange County, California and it has experienced a great deal of success.  The program is funded through an Americorp grant and participants are recruited through local college universities.  These recruits will help attorneys provide legal assistance to litigants through one-on-one contact and in legal workshops, and by using computers to help them complete court forms.  The Committee is considering partnering with the Access to Justice Courts Committee on the project, and will update the Commission on their progress at their next meeting.
2. The Committee, with the assistance of Judge Vogt, secured a commitment from the Office of Regulation Counsel to disseminate information to new admittees at the required Professionalism Course regarding Rule 260.8 and legal aid opportunities.
3. The Committee has developed a legal aid “quiz” that will be included in The Colorado Lawyer.
4. Ilene Bloom informed the Commission that the Committee is in need of an active co-chair as it undertakes new endeavors over the coming year.

B. Resource Development Committee

1. Meredith McBurney, Chair of the Resource Development Committee, informed the Commission about the current status of Legal Services Corporation funding for the next year.  It is certain that there will be a slight reduction ($9,000), and it is possible that an across the board rescission on domestic spending of 2% ($75,000) may be imposed.  The Committee will have more information on this topic in about another month.
2. The Committee has been discussing State Legislative Appropriations for Civil Legal Services for domestic violence victims, which currently is set at $500,000.  Of that, approximately $485,000 goes out in grants to providers, with Colorado Legal Services receiving about $460,000 and the balance being split between various pro bono and domestic violence programs.
3. Jon Asher volunteered to put together a small presentation that walks through funding for Civil Legal Services for the next Commission meeting.  The Commission approved this idea.
4. The Committee agreed to a strategy of finding constituents of key legislators to meet with the legislators and share information about domestic violence and legal services.  Lists of members of the JBC and the Senate and House Judiciary Committees were circulated at the Retreat.  Kathleen Schoen from the Colorado Bar Association offered her help to the Committee in contacting domestic violence victims.

C. Local Access to Justice Support Committee

1. Aaron Clay, Chair of the Local Access to Justice Support Committee, informed the Commission that over the past year the Committee has met with local bar associations and judges to try and establish Local Access to Justice Committees in each judicial district throughout the state.  The Committee anticipates Local Committees in 18 of the 22 judicial districts.  Committees are now established in 12 of the possible 18 locations.  Contacts have been made in three more locations.  The Committee plans on contacting remaining judicial districts in the coming year.
2. The Committee has twenty-five members from all parts of the state except for the Northeast corner.
3. Also, the Committee is committed to establishing a library of “self-help” videos for distribution to all areas of the state.
4. The Committee submitted a proposal to the Commission regarding use of the funds generated from the golf tournament to be used for an Access to Justice Conference.  A motion was made to approve use of the funds for the ATJ Conference, this motion passed.  The Committee will keep the Commission informed of its progress on this matter.
5. For the coming year, the new chair of the Committee will be Daniel Taubman.

D. Courthouse Committee

1. Barney Iuppa, Chair of the Courthouse Committee, informed the Commission that for the past year the Committee has worked on getting court costs and fees waived for legal services clients and for pro bono attorneys doing work for indigent clients.  Justice Hobbs and his Ad Hoc Committee undertook this task and a proposed Chief Justice directive is before Justice Mullarkey at this time.  In addition, the Committee is attempting to get the Lexis/Nexis fees waived for those same attorneys.  Again, Justice Hobbs and his Committee have been working on this project.
2. Also, the Committee has been addressing interpreter services for indigent clients in civil cases.  Recently, the Committee met with Melinda Gonzalez-Hibner, Court Interpreter Program Coordinator for SCAO, and discussed the establishment of statewide guidelines for civil indigent services.  This project is not yet complete; the Committee will inform the Commission later of its progress.
3.  Barney informed the Commission that the Committee is in need of an active co-chair to help undertake new endeavors over the coming year.
4. Barney informed Ilene that he would be interested in working with the Education Committee on the Justice Corp project.

E. Ad Hoc Committee

1. Greg Hobbs, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee, informed the Commission that the Committee has completed the Model Pro Bono Policy for Colorado Law Firms.  Two different drafts, one for large and one for small firms, were passed out at the Retreat.  The new policy is not mandatory.  The policy asks the firm to commit to an annual goal of performing 50 hours of pro bono legal service by each attorney at the firm, commit to valuing at least 50 hours of such pro bono service by each attorney of the firm per year as they would value compensated client representation, and offered in return for completion of 50 hours of such pro bono service per attorney on average to list them on a list of firms who have accomplished this goal on the Colorado Supreme Court’s website.
2. Justice Hobbs asked the Commission to continue to consider different avenues that would help to implement this new code and what kind of commitment he should ask for from the Chief Justice.
3. A motion was made to give the Committee the full support of the Commission on this project and let the Committee pursue it further.  The motion passed.

IV. Discussion of ATJC Committees
The Commission decided that all Committees are still pertinent and active: there is no reason for the Commission at this time to disband any of them.

V. Other Business

A. ATJC Membership

The following members of the Commission have sessions that end this year: JoAnn Vogt, Yolanda Fennick, Greg Hobbs, Meredith McBurney, Lynne Sholler, and Dan Taubman.  All have volunteered to serve for another session with the exception of Yolanda Fennick and Lynne Sholler.  The Colorado Supreme Court has reappointed Hobbs and Vogt, and the Colorado Bar Association will be asked to reappoint Taubman and appoint two new members.  JoAnn asked Commission members to contact her with suggestions for those that might be interested in serving on the ATJC.

B. The 2005 slate of officers for the ATJC was re-approved by the Commission for 2006.

C. Connie Talmage informed the Commission of two events that the Lawyer’s Committee is currently planning and need volunteers for.  First, Project Homeless Connect that is sponsored by the United Way and the City of Denver.  It will be held on December 8, 2005, and it is meant to be a day to provide services (medical, legal, etc.) to the homeless.  Currently, the Committee is looking for 14 Lawyers that could volunteer for this event.  Second, is Legal Night at the Center, an event that is sponsored by the Lawyer’s Committee.  Currently, there is no date for this event, but it will be held in January.  They are also looking for lawyers or pro bono paralegals to volunteer their time to give legal advice to indigent clients.

VI.  NEXT MEETING: JANUARY 13, 2005 AT 12 P.M.  THE MEETING WILL BE HELD AT THE CBA OFFICES (1900 GRANT STREET, SUITE 900, DENVER, CO, 80203).