Article: The Case for Court-Based Document Assembly Programs: A review of the New York State Court System’s "DIY" Forms (Klempner 2014)

In this article, Rochelle Klempner, Chief Counsel, New York State Courts Access to Justice Program, explores how document assembly systems can serve as a critical tool for access to justice for the self-represented litigant. Part I provides an overview of the obstacles unrepresented litigants face with court forms and how the utilization of A2J Author® and HotDocs software in conjunction with ProBonoNet's LawHelp Interactive can combat these obstacles. Part II of this Article relates the NYS court system’s experience and success with its document assembly programs and how they benefit unrepresented litigants. Part III examines the reasons why court systems are ideally situated to create document assembly programs for unrepresented litigants and how court systems benefit from their widespread use.

Recommended Citation: Rochelle Klempner, The Case for Court-Based Document Assembly Programs: A Review of the New York State Court System's "DIY" Forms, 41 Fordham Urb. L.J. 1189 (2014). Available at: https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/ulj/vol41/iss4/4.