Equal Access Project
Ethical Issues
This section provides background on ethical issues concerned with the changing roles of attorneys, court clerks, judges and self-help center staff in serving self-represented litigants.
Limited Scope Representation/Unbundling
General
Ethical Issues - John Greacen and Richard Zorza
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Judicial Ethics
Handling Cases Involving Self-Represented Litigants: A Benchguide for Judicial Officers
This January 2007 benchguide is intended to assist judicial officers in the handling of cases involving self-represented litigants. This benchguide was awarded the Howell Heflin Award by the State Justice Institute (SJI).
California Law Applicable to a Judge's Ethical Duties in Dealing with Self-Represented Litigants
How Can Judges Communicate Effectively With Self-Represented Litigants?
Judicial Techniques for Cases Involving Self-Represented Litigants - Rebecca A. Albrecht, John M. Greacen, Bonnie Rose Hough, and Richard Zorza
Judicial Management of Cases Involving Self-Represented Litigants (prepared by the National Center for State Courts )
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Limited Scope Representation/Unbundling
Informal National Survey of Ethical Opinions Related to "Discrete Task Lawyering" - Maryland Legal Assistance Network
Handbook on Limited Scope Legal Assistance published in 2004 by the American Bar Association Litigation Section
Family Law Limited Scope Representation Risk Management Materials
Civil Limited Scope Representation Risk Management Materials
"Unbundled" Legal Services: Looking at issues of liability and good practices - Ayn Crawley, M. Sue Talia, Hon. Jane Harper
Changing the Face of Legal Practice: "Unbundled" Legal Services
An Ethics Primer on Limited Scope Representation - by the State Bar of California Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct
Roadmap for Implementing a Successful Unbundling Program (prepared by Sue Talia)
San Francisco's Unlawful Detainer Settlement Conference Project
Limited Legal Services Agreement (Prepared by the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law )
Unbundled Services Brochure (Prepared by the Superior Court of California, County of Orange)
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Court Clerks
Changing Role of Court Clerks and Law Librarians
May I Help You? Legal Advice vs. Legal Information - Judicial Council of California, Administrative Office of the Courts
Video: May I Help You? Legal Advice vs. Legal Information - Judicial Council of California (Contact equalaccess@jud.ca.gov to obtain a copy of this video.)
Court Clerks Office: Signage - Judicial Council of California Approved Form
Code of Ethics for the Court Employees of California (Prepared by the Judicial Council of California)
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Self-Help Center Ethics
Guidelines for the Operation of Self-Help Centers in California Trial Courts. Coordinated by the Task Force on Self-Represented Litigants. Released by the AOC in March 2008.
Selections in Ethics for Facilitators (prepared for the California Conference on Self-Represented Litigants).
Ethical Issues for Attorneys Working With Self-Represented Litigants
Effective Use of Facilitators in the Courtroom - Sue Alexander and Tom Suhr, Superior Court of California, County of Alameda
Short Multi-lingual Disclosure Form and Multilingual Disclosure and Sign-in Sheet (Prepared by the San Francisco ACCESS Center )
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