Washington Lawyer - September 2019 - 23

I can't think of a title less likely to inspire confidence on the part of the
consumer," Sandman says.
Other hurdles that Sandman sees in getting the LLLT model off the ground
in the District include getting buy-ins from local law schools to invest in an
LLLT program and amending Rule 49 of the D.C. Court of Appeals Rules governing unauthorized practice of law.

ALTERNATIVES TO THE LLLT MODEL
Despite Washington, D.C.'s large network of legal services provider organizations and the availability of lawyers who offer lower rates by unbundling some
of their services, the access-to-justice crisis persists.
"In a forthcoming report on the District's civil justice system, the D.C. Access to
Justice Commission offers a variety of recommendations in bridging the justice
gap, including the expansion of support for traditional models of legal representation and non-traditional approaches," says Nancy Drane, executive director of
the commission. "Among other strategies, the commission recommends that the
District explore the use of nonlawyers and other allied professionals in addressing
legal and other needs, including navigator-type programs."
Drane notes that the D.C. Courts recently launched two navigator programs.
The Veterans Navigator Office connects court-involved veterans to agencies
and programs that provide a wide variety of services, including mental health
and substance abuse treatment, civil legal assistance, social adjustment counseling, job training, and processing of VA benefits and claims. Court-involved
veterans are defined as those having a criminal, civil, probate, domestic
violence, small claims, landlord-tenant, or family matter in D.C. Superior Court.

The Court Navigator Program, on the other hand, helps self-represented litigants physically navigate the court, complete their business with the court,
and access pertinent information on other legal services. This program currently
serves clients in small claims and landlord-tenant disputes. These navigator
programs supplement the services offered by legal services providers onsite
at D.C. Superior Court, including attorneys of the day and the Landlord Tenant
Resource Center.
Among the seven recommendations outlined in Georgetown Law's Justice
Lab report are to "[secure] good data to measure and determine the results of
navigator programs" and to conduct independent research to make the best
use of navigator efforts. The latter includes "evaluations of individual programs
to demonstrate program outcomes, impact, and cost savings; studies to help
determine when best to use nonlawyers to provide assistance; and surveys of
best practices in community-based programs using nonlawyers to help unrepresented people."
Krantz agrees that finding innovative solutions to bridge the justice gap is key.
"We need to start thinking creatively of ways that involve our many universities,"
Krantz says. "The District has a number of law schools and schools of social
work; we can engage their students. There are also massive numbers of baby
boomers who are retiring from professional careers and are looking for ways to
give back to their communities. We should involve them."
"But we should go way beyond Washington State's LLLT program and create
our own way of using qualified nonlawyers to meet the crisis confronting us,"
Krantz adds. "I'm convinced that we are up to that challenge."
Illustration, iStock; Patrick McGlone, courtesy of Patrick McGlone; Sheldon Krantz, courtesy of Sheldon Krantz;
Nancy Drane, courtesy of D.C. Access to Justice Commission

2019

FREDERICK
DOUGLASS

AWARDS
HONORING

SCOTT BUDNICK

07 NOVEMBER 2019
CONRAD WASHINGTON DC HOTEL
950 New York Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20001
For additional information, contact
Terrica Ganzy at tganzy@schr.org or by
phone at (404) 688-1202.
You can also visit www.schr.org/dinner

American Film Producer
Founder of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition
President and CEO of One Community, LLC

AND

THE HONORABLE
ROBERT REYNOLDS "RENNY" CUSHING
Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
Founder and Executive Director
of Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights

http://www.schr.org/dinner

Washington Lawyer - September 2019

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