State-by-State

One of SRLN's primary roles is keeping abreast of self-help developments in each of the states.

Court Self-Help Centers

In 2006, SRLN released a Directory of Court Self-Help Centers and then in 2014 assisted the ABA with The Self-Help Center Census. These two surveys demonstrated a growing adoption of self-help services throughout the country. In 2018, we initiated a comprehensive survey of self-help in the counties and will begin releasing results in mid-2019.

Law Library Self-Help Services

In 2013, the SRLN Library Working Group National Self-Help in Libraries Survey was released. The 2013 survey and related maps provide a rich and textured view of the significant role libraries play in providing services to the public. In 2019, the SRLN Law Library Group is re-surveying the field in order to evaluate the adoption of the emerging practices identified in 2013.

Self-Help Webpages, Forms & YouTube

Please find state-by-state links to state court self-help webpages and YouTube channels below. State court self-help web pages serve as a backbone to self-help services in the counties, providing access to uniform, comprehensive information that helps litigants, court staff, lawyers and community service providers "stay on the same page" about procedural information and standardized forms. As of 2013, approximately 20% of the states offered full statewide coverage of one-on-one court based self-help services through either county level staffing, or in the the case of Alaska and Utah, through a statewide telephone helpline modeled after the elder law and legal aid hotlines. See legalhotlines.org for more information about hotlines, and lawhelp.org for a directory of legal aid webpages that work in tandem with many of the legal aid hotlines.

The Justice Index

An index that scores and ranks the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico on their adoption of selected best practices for ensuring access to justice. It relies on findings, indicators, indexing and other data-analytics tools to gauge a person’s access regardless of whether a lawyer is used, English is spoken and understood, or that person has a physical or mental disability.

On September 1, 2016, David Udell presented to the SRLN Research Working Group. Notes from that meeting along with links and summaries to other Justice Index coverage can be found in the working group Meeting Notes.

SRLN Research Content

Go to SRLN Research Page

Go to SRLN Brief: Research and Data (SRLN 2015)

 

State Self-Help Links Court Videos

Alabama

Alabama Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page 


Forms 

None

Alaska

Alaska Fairness and Access Commission

Alaska Justice For All

Self-Help Page


Forms

Court YouTube Channel

Arizona

Arizona Commission on Access to Justice

Self-Help Page


Forms

Some videos available by county (YouTube)

Arkansas

Arkansas Access to Justice

Self-Help Page


Forms

None

California

California Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page


Forms

Court YouTube Channel

Colorado

Colorado Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page
Forms

Court YouTube Channel

Connecticut

Connecticut Judicial Branch Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page


Forms

Court YouTube Channel

Delaware

Delaware Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page


Forms

Court YouTube Channel

District of Columbia

D.C. Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page


Forms

Court YouTube Channel

Florida

Florida Commission on Access to Civil Justice

Self-Help Page


Forms

Court Youtube Channel

Georgia

Judicial Council Standing Committee on Access to Justice

Self-Help Page (Georgia Legal Aid)


Forms (Georgia Legal Aid)

None

Hawai'i

Hawai'i Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page


Forms

Court YouTube channel

Idaho

Idaho Supreme Court's Committee to Increase Access to the Court

Self-Help Page and
Forms

None

Illinois

Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice

Self-Help Page


Forms

Court Youtube channel

Indiana

Indiana Coalition for Court Access

Self-Help Page


Forms

Court YouTube Channel


Court Site Videos

Iowa

Iowa Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page


Forms

No content for SRLs

Kansas

Kansas Access to Justice Committee

Self-Help Page


Forms

None

Kentucky

Kentucky Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page


Forms

None

Louisiana

Louisiana Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page (Law Library of Louisiana)


Forms

None

Maine

Maine Access to Justice Department

Self-Help Page


Forms

None

Maryland

Maryland Access to Justice Commission

ATJ Commission media kit

Self-Help Page

Self-Help Videos

Forms

Court Youtube Channel

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission

Massachusetts Justice for All

Self-Help Page


Forms

Court YouTube Channel

Michigan

Michigan Access to Justice Campaign

Self-Help Page


Forms

No content for SRLs

Minnesota

Minnesota Strategic Goal: Access to Justice

Minnesota State Bar Assoc. Access to Justice Committee

Self-Help Page


Forms

Court YouTube Channel

Mississippi

Mississippi Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page

Self-Help Videos

Forms


None
 

Missouri

Self-Help Page


Forms

None

Montana

Montana Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page


Forms

None

Nebraska

Nebraska Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page


Forms

None

Nevada

Nevada Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page


Forms

None

New Hampshire

New Hampshire Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page

 

Forms

None

New Jersey

Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Access and Fairness

Self-Help Page


Forms

Court YouTube Channel

New Mexico

New Mexico Commission on Access to Justice

Self-Help Page

Self-Help Guide

Forms

None

New York

New York Permanent Commission on Access to Justice

Self-Help Page


Forms

Court YouTube Channel

North Carolina

North Carolina Equal Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page 


Forms 

Court Youtube Channel

North Dakota

Self-Help Page and Forms

None

Ohio

Task Force on Access to Justice

Self-Help Page (Ohio Legal Help)

(No statewide site)


No content for SRLs
 

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Access to Justice Commission

(No statewide site)

Forms (Legal Aid OK)


None
 

Oregon

Oregon Supreme Court Council on Inclusion and Fairness

Self-Help Page

Forms

Court YouTube Channel
Pennsylvania

Self-Help Page

Self-Help Video

Forms


Court YouTube Channel

Rhode Island

Self-Help Page

Forms

None

South Carolina

South Carolina Access to Justice

Self-Help Page

Forms

None

South Dakota

South Dakota's Access to Justice, Inc. (State Bar of South Dakota)

Self-Help Page


Forms

None

Tennessee

Tennessee Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page


Forms

None

Texas

Texas Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page


Forms

None
Utah

Self-Help Page and Forms

Court YouTube Channel

Vermont

Vermont Access to Justice Coalition

Self-Help Page


Forms

None

Virginia

Virginia Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page


Forms

None

Washington

Washington Supreme Court Access to Justice Board

Self-Help Page


Forms

None

West Virginia

Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page (Legal Aid of WV)


Forms

None

Wisconsin

Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page


Forms

None

Wyoming

Access to Justice Commission

Self-Help Page

Forms

None