Our Work
The Office for Justice Initiatives’ Access to Justice Division is led by Hon. Edwina G. Richardson, Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives. The Division develops, implements and supports many programs and initiatives that enhance the court user’s experience including Help Centers, volunteer attorney programs, self-help services, community outreach, programs tailored for vulnerable populations and more to carry out its mission to serve unrepresented litigants in all New York State courts.
Hon. Richardson and the Office for Justice Initiatives (OJI) work closely on equal access to justice issues with the NYS Permanent Commission on Access to Justice, The Richard C. Failla LGBTQ Commission of the NY Courts, the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission on Racial and Ethnic Fairness, the Hon. Betty Weinberg Ellerin Commission on Women in the Courts, the Permanent Commission on Justice for Families, the Advisory Committee on Access for People with Disabilities, the Center for Court Innovation (CCI), the Division of Technology, the Grants Office, the Office of Language Access, law schools and many stakeholders
As reflected by our goals, the Access to Justice Division, is dedicated to improving equal access to justice for New Yorkers of low-income and modest means who cannot afford an attorney by making it easier to navigate the court system.
Read more about our work in our Law Day Reports and Annual Reports.
Court Programs and Initiatives
The Access to Justice Division oversees the Unified Court System’s Volunteer Attorney Programs. Relying on the experience and skills provided by lawyers, law students and other professionals, the Division works hard to foster the development of low and modest-means income court-based pro bono programs. The chronic lack of free or low-cost legal assistance has led to a crisis in the courts. The crisis is reflected by both the volume of cases filed that affect people’s lives, as well as the ever-rising numbers of unrepresented litigants in these case types. The Division has created a structure where volunteer attorneys are recruited, trained and supervised so they can provide limited scope representation to litigants in family, divorce, and consumer credit cases. The Division has provided free continuing legal education training credits to a growing number of trained volunteer attorneys in exchange for their volunteer hours.
The Access to Justice also oversees the Unified Court System's Help Centers throughout the state. Court based Help Centers, are located in courthouses and Public Access Law Libraries. They operate on a first come, first serve basis to any unrepresented litigant, regardless of income. Help Centers are staffed by a combination of court attorneys and court clerks. These offices provide free comprehensive procedural and legal information related to the types of cases that the court handles. Help Center staff are unable to provide legal advice and no attorney-client relationships are created. Help Centers offer referrals to full-service representation, pro bono attorney providers, legal clinics, and other low-cost legal service providers. They provide referrals to alternative dispute resolution and social service support systems as well as free court forms and publications. Unrepresented litigants can also use the internet for legal research and to access DIY Form Programs in many Help Centers.
For more information about Court Help Centers email: NYSHelpCenters@nycourts.gov.
Self-Help Services
Many unrepresented litigants do not understand how to assert or defend their legal rights. Many unrepresented litigants also do not know or fully understand court procedures. This places them at a clear disadvantage when attempting to access the justice they seek and deserve. To address this problem, the Access to Justice Division provides various self-help resources for unrepresented litigants. This includes the Unified Court System’s statewide website CourtHelp, as well as contributing to the publication of various court guides and court forms, which are written in plain language to make it easier for people to understand. The Access to Justice Division works closely with the Division of Technology to develop, implement, and maintain, self-help document assembly programs called DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Form programs, which have proven to be an effective tool to assist the ever-increasing numbers of unrepresented litigants in need of information.
Community Outreach
The Courts and Community Center is dedicated to educating the public about the judicial system and removing barriers to justice for New York State residents through community outreach and education. The Courts and Community Center's outreach programs, such as the Community Seminar Series, Law Days, and others, help empower communities and ensure equal access to justice. Through the Community Leaders Roundtables and the Public Librarians' Program, the Courts and Community Center educates community leaders, public librarians, neighborhood agencies, and government offices on available resources.
Litigants with Diverse Needs
The Access to Justice Division oversees develops, supports and implements programs and initiatives aimed at assisting litigants with diverse needs who are unable to meaningfully avail themselves of available resources. Learn more about these programs and initiatives, specifically developed to address the needs of vulnerable landlord-tenant litigants living in New York City.
The Access to Justice Division also periodically conducts training programs for court personnel to heighten awareness of the needs people experiencing financial insecurity. Poverty Simulations are an effort to ensure that judicial and non-judicial court staff continue to understand the needs of diverse populations. During a simulation, participants live for four simulated weeks (each week being fifteen minutes) as members of low or no-income families.