Connection to the Courts (Access to Justice) Program

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

The Circuit Clerk's Connection to the Courts (Access to Justice) Program has provided much needed assistance to Self-Represented Litigants (SRLs), previously known as Pro Se, as they attempt to navigate some of the complexities of the legal system. The Community Partners and the Circuit Clerk’s Office have worked to achieve this success through increasing the number of electronic filing workstations, establishing relationships with community groups, or the expansion to include the Lawyer in the Library Program (with partnership from the local bar association) to help more with SRLs, has contributed to more positive interactions with SRLs in the Court System. Since the program has been implemented we have seen a large increase in assistance to SRLs with a reduction in how many SRL filings have been rejected by either the Circuit Clerk’s Office or the judiciary.