Virginia's Access to Justice Commission: The First Year

by Gail Warren

 

 

In early 2013, utilizing an “Access to Justice Commission Expansion Project Grant” from the American Bar Association, the Supreme Court of Virginia convened an Access to Justice Planning Committee, chaired by Justice S. Bernard Goodwyn.  The committee was charged with determining whether an access to justice commission was needed in Virginia and, if so, what direction such a commission should take.  The committee recommended to the court the creation of the Virginia Access to Justice Commission and a little over a year ago, on September 13, 2013, the Supreme Court of Virginia established the Virginia Access to Justice Commission.

 

In creating this commission, Virginia joined 28 other states with access to justice commissions, each charged with expanding access to civil justice for low income and disadvantaged persons.  The mission of Virginia’s commission, which is comprised of judges, lawyers, and others, is to promote equal access to justice in Virginia, with particular emphasis on the civil legal needs of Virginia residents.  The commission is co-chaired by the Honorable S. Bernard Goodwyn, Justice, Supreme Court of Virginia, and John Whitfield, Executive Director, Blue Ridge Legal Services, Inc.  The full commission roster appears here: http://www.courts.state.va.us/programs/vajc/resources/members.pdf

 

The first meeting of the commission, in December 2013, provided an opportunity for introductions, a presentation by Steve Grumm, Director of the ABA's Access to Justice Resource Center, and, last but not least, consideration of the “operational nature” of the commission such as rules, tasks and agendas.  As a result of our discussion and the clear need for action, four working committees were established, each chaired by a member of the commission:

1. Pro Se Litigant/Court Access Committee (now the Access for Self-Represented Litigants Committee)
2. Pro Bono Committee
3. Judicial Education Committee
4. Public Relations/Communications/Education Committee

 

In addition to appointing each commission member to at least one of the above committees, the committees were charged with identifying and adding other professionals to their roster.  VALL member Patty Petroccione not only serves as the chair of the VALL Access to Justice Committee, she also serves on the Access for Self-Represented Litigants Committee of the commission and I serve on the Public Relations Committee.

 

Both Patty and I benefit from the wise counsel and support of the other VALL members serving on the VALL Access to Justice Committee, including Leslie Ashbrook, Donna Bausch, Robert Davis, Ben Doherty and Meldon Jenkins-Jones.  Many of you will recall this special committee was established in January of this year and its charge includes “advising the law librarian appointee to the Virginia Access to Justice Commission about the public’s needs for access to legal information and legal information literacy instruction, about initiatives of law librarians statewide in serving those needs, and issues concerning access to and use of legal information by this population.”  The committee is also responsible for coordinating “efforts of law librarians across the state to improve public access to legal information and legal information literacy instruction,” and reporting to VALL “about the relevant activities and interests of entities beyond Virginia’s borders and, conversely, share information about VALL’s activities and interests with outside organizations as appropriate.”

 

While the full Virginia Access to Justice Commission meets on a quarterly basis and submits quarterly reports to the Supreme Court of Virginia, the working committees meet far more frequently and are the “wheels” that are moving the commission toward its goals. [Note the commission’s meeting calendar at the Virginia Judiciary web site:

http://www.courts.state.va.us/programs/vajc/calendar/home.html]

 

Over the past year, the four working committees have completed a number of tasks, including:

• Revising the Virginia Judiciary web site to make it easier to locate the form for proceeding In Forma Pauperis [= proceeding without payment of fees or costs] and incorporating a link to Virginia Legal Aid
• Expanding the “Firms in Service” model beyond the Richmond Metropolitan Area to provide more opportunities for attorneys interested in pro bono service
• Creating a Virginia Access to Justice Commission Wiki to serve as a repository for commission rosters, meeting agendas and minutes, and links to access to justice resources
• Preparing a draft of “talking points” for commission members and others interested in promoting access to justice
• Providing focused judicial programming at the Judicial Conference of Virginia for District Courts, by arranging for Professor Kelly Tait, University of Nevada-Reno to address procedural fairness and self-represented litigants
• Drafting practice points for the bench books regarding self-represented litigants in the courtroom, to be reviewed by the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission

 

Because Virginia’s Access to Justice Commission is intended to be a permanent entity within the judicial branch, I encourage more members of VALL to become involved -- one option for VALL members is utilizing your “current” connections with those currently serving on the commission.  For example, if an individual from your law firm or academic institution appears on the commission’s roster, offer this individual your research and legal information expertise for their commission activities.  And, even if you are unable to volunteer right now for a working committee or lend your expertise, there will be ongoing opportunities for law librarians in the years ahead.

 

Stay tuned for updates!



VALLkyrie Gail Zwirner, VALL Past President

by Sally Wambold

 

 

 

 

Kent Olson has dubbed Gail a VALLKyrie.  I was so delighted by this designation that I thought all VALL members should know who their VALLkyrie is!

Gail remembers becoming VALL president in 1999 after she began working at University of Richmond.  She also served as secretary and newsletter editor during her time at Hunton & Williams.

 

 

One of the most meaningful projects Gail has shepherded is the collaboration with the Virginia State Bar on the “Law Libraries” column in the Virginia Lawyer.  This project won VALL an AALL Excellence in Marketing award.  AALL wants to copy this project on the national level, a real VALLidation of VALL.  VALL authors have contributed almost 100 articles.

 

Gail believes the strength of VALL is its size which results in a smaller, tighter network and enables better communication.  VALL members can and do share information really well.  An example of great information sharing for Gail was the help VALL gave her that enabled her to use OCLC in the early days of online work in technical services.

 

 A fond memory for Gail was the fun she had when she attended the first official VALL annual meeting at the Norfolk Public Law Library when Gail Warren was VALL President and Jean Holcomb was the librarian at NPLL.  The meeting was held after VALL gained chapter status.

 

 Gail's first meeting as VALL President was at UVA.  Gail remembers learning the value of focus and limiting the scope of discussion at that town meeting, the theme of Gail's first meeting.

 

Another fine memory Gail shared is the work VALL did to get Lexis & Westlaw to include comprehensive access to all Virginia opinions.  As a result of VALL's work, other states followed.  What a contribution Gail made!

 

Jim Heller and Gail worked tirelessly to secure an Administrative Code for Virginia.

 

Gail also worked on the project to secure a preservation copy of the Virginia Reports.  This set is housed at the Virginia Historical Society.

 

Gail believes VALL has made these contributions because of outstanding leadership.

 

Gail's memories and insights made me think of the Peter Principle, which includes the concept of smaller groups doing better work.

 

I have to express gratitude to Gail for presenting these memories.  I hope others will find them as motivating as I do.

 



Factory Man by Beth Macy

By Evelyn Campbell

   Factory Man is about John Bassett III, a third generation factory man, whose family built the Bassett Furniture Company, once the world's biggest wood furniture manufacturer in the world. It is also more than a story about a fascinating man who stood up against price dumping from China and fought to keep his family business going. More importantly it is a story about what globalization has done to the American worker -- as industries fled the US, millions of workers lost their jobs and once thriving towns withered, the factories and plants that once sustained them, standing empty and abandoned.
  Beth Macy gives voice to former furniture workers like Wanda Perdue, who asked her to go to Surabaya, Indonesia, where most of the world's furniture is now made. "I want you to see what they do in Indonesia and explain to me why we can't do that here no more," Perdue said.
  Macy shared parts of this her first book with a packed room at the Library of Virginia's Book Talk series and later signed copies of Factory Man for the audience.