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WASHINGTON STATE ACCESS TO JUSTICE TECHNOLOGY PRINCIPLES: A PERSPECTIVE FOR JUSTICE SYSTEM PROFESSIONALS, THE

Justice System Journal, 2006 by Zorza, Richard, Horowitz, Donald J

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In another area, the Washington Assistive Technology Alliance (WATA) and the University of Washington Center for Disability Studies collaborated with the ATJTBoR to develop a Web site on "Using Technology to Improve Access to Justice for People with Disabilities" (http://justice-at.uwctds.washington.edu/). ATJTBoR is working in a broadly collaborative effort to create a pilot community-based technology justice center at the principal site of the SeaMar Community Health Centers in south Seattle and King County. SeaMar has provided health and associated services to low-income, immigrant, and other vulnerable people from centers throughout the state for more than two decades. ATJTBoR has also initiated and is collaborating with the University of Washington Law School's Shidler Center for Law, Commerce and Technology in conducting the first study of "Electronic Delivery of Legal Services: Ethical, Legal and Business Implications of the Use of Technology in the Delivery of Legal Services."

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A Statewide Website Advisory Group has been established to "bring together website managers whose organizations provide substantial Access to Justice Internet content and services for all people in Washington State," and explore "potential collaborative efforts among its members, and with other state, federal and private organizations and companies."

Similarly, the JIS committee sponsored a work group that developed and proposed amendments to update the Washington Supreme Court's General Rule (GR) 15 (Destruction and Sealing of Court Records) and GR 22 (Access to Family Law Court Records). ATJ representatives participated in the group and initiated and supported changes that better serve a balance of access and privacy (see Principle Four as well as adding safety as a criterion, and assuring the general compliance of both rules with the ATJ Technology Principles. The Washington Supreme Court adopted these amendments effective July 1, 2006. Currently, ATJ representatives are part of a new JIS work group to update and improve GR 30 (Electronic Filing) and ensure compliance with the Principles.

The state AOC and Northwest Justice Project, the statewide legal-aid program, completed a project to improve Web-site content for Washington Lawhelp, a Web site providing legal information and self-help materials about legal problems that affect low-income people (see http://www.washingtonlawhelp.org/WA/index.cfm). In 2005 the AOC set up a new usability-testing lab and are currently revising the 2003 Judicial Information Systems Plan to bring it up to date and ensure its consistency with the Principles.

THE ATJ TECHNOLOGY PRINCIPLES IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY GROUP

A commitment to implementing the Principles-making them integral and fundamental threads of the fabric of the Washington State justice system and making their effects real in people's daily lives-has been expressed from the beginning. Contained in the court order is an expectation of planning and action, and the requirement of an annual report to the court. Shortly after entry of the court order, the ATJ board instructed the ATJTBoR chair to form an ATJ Technology Principles Implementation Strategy Group, the membership of which was to represent different aspects and levels of the justice system, as well as other relevant professions, disciplines, and backgrounds in positions to consider, plan for, and promote institutionalization and implementation of the Principles. Among the group's members were judges from every level of court from the supreme court to traffic courts; the solicitor general from the attorney general's office; an attorney specializing in technology law; a manager from the state Administrative Office of the Courts; a county court clerk; directors of the two major state legal-aid programs; faculty from both the Information School and the Department of Computer Science of the University of Washington; the director of Washington State University's Center to Bridge the Digital Divide; and the director of the State Office of Civil Legal Aid. Funding from the supreme court allowed the group to hire a half-time project manager, who facilitated the development of the group's recommendations and products and its final report to the supreme court, dated June 30, 2006 (the complete report can be accessed at www.atjtbor.org).

WASHINGTON STATE ACCESS TO JUSTICE TECHNOLOGY PRINCIPLES: A PERSPECTIVE FOR JUSTICE SYSTEM PROFESSIONALS, THE

Justice System Journal, 2006 by Zorza, Richard, Horowitz, Donald J

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