Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 16

FEATURE
NAVIGATING THE COURT A Virtual Guide to
By John Murph
ast February, Michael Smallwood set foot inside
the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for
the first time to seek custody of his children. Once
inside the Moultrie Courthouse, confusion, and
then frustration, quickly set in.
Smallwood was looking for the Family Court Central Intake Center, but
he didn't receive clear directions on how to get there. " [Someone] directed
me to the JM level, [and from there I was] referred to a whole other
level, where I wasn't supposed to be, for assistance, " Smallwood recalls.
" So, I was really frustrated ... running back and forth. "
On average, between 200 and 250 people walk up to D.C. Superior
Court's information booth every day looking for help - from finding the
right courtroom to filing the correct paperwork - says information desk
supervisor Shawn Wilkins. Superior Court is one of the busiest courts in
the country, with its Family Court Operations Division alone receiving
16 WASHINGTON LAWYER
* NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024
L
Accessing Justice
10,000 new filings in 2023. Navigating the city's trial court - a labyrinth
both physically and procedurally - can be an emotionally overwhelming
experience for first-time pro se litigants like Smallwood who are already
dealing with a difficult legal matter.
" For practitioners, preparation is key, and it's vital to our success to know
the setup of the courtroom and how to navigate the courthouse as a
whole before we [enter it], " says Alexander J. Geraldo, who specializes in
compensation and personal injury matters at Robinson & Geraldo, P.C.
Now imagine being an unrepresented litigant facing the unknown. " [Preparation]
is even more paramount to a pro se litigant, who may already have
some innate trepidation in handling a legal matter without the assistance
of counsel, " says Geraldo, a D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center volunteer.
FROM LISTENING EAR TO LEGAL RESOURCE
To deliver justice, a courthouse must be accessible to both litigants and
lawyers, and so over the past year the District of Columbia Courts have
taken steps to improve the public's experience with the judicial system
using technology. The result is the Virtual District of Columbia Court Interactive
Website, a 360-degree immersive tour of the court campus.
Courtesy of Youtopian

Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024

Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024
Digital Extras
From Our President
Calendar
Practice Management
Toward Well-Being
Court Simplified feature
Erin Larkin feature
Navigating the Court feature
Demystifying the Corporate Transparency Act feature
Erin Larkin feature
Data Breach Readiness feature
Member Spotlight - Murray Scheel
On Further Review
Newly Minted
Worth Reading
Attorney Briefs
Speaking of Ethics
Disciplinary Summaries
Pro Bono Effect
A Slice of Wry
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Cover2
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 1
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 2
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 3
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Digital Extras
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 5
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - From Our President
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Calendar
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Practice Management
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Toward Well-Being
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Court Simplified feature
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 11
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 12
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 13
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Erin Larkin feature
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 15
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Navigating the Court feature
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 17
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Demystifying the Corporate Transparency Act feature
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 19
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Erin Larkin feature
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 21
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Data Breach Readiness feature
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 23
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 24
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 25
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Member Spotlight - Murray Scheel
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 27
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - On Further Review
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 29
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Newly Minted
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 31
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Worth Reading
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 33
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Attorney Briefs
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 35
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Speaking of Ethics
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 37
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Disciplinary Summaries
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 39
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 40
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 41
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Pro Bono Effect
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 43
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 44
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 45
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 46
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 47
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - A Slice of Wry
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Cover3
Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - Cover4
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