Justice
Action Group
The Justice Action Group (JAG) is an organization that performs leadership and
coordination with respect to planning for, and the provision of, legal
services to low-income Mainers. Its membership includes individuals from
the state and federal judiciary, the Maine Legislature, the Executive Branch,
the Maine State Bar Association, the Maine Bar Foundation, the Maine Civil
Legal Services Fund Commission, and the boards of legal service providers.
Provided below are information and links about the current activities
of JAG.
JAG Statewide Planning Initiative
Justice
for All: A Report of the Justice Action Group Statewide Access to
Justice Planning Initiative
Presented
to the JAG Board of Directors - October 10, 2007
Executive Summary - Justice for All: A Report of the Justice Action
Group
Resolution
of the Justice Action Group Regarding the Statewide Access to Justice Planning
Initiative
Approved by the JAG Board of Directors - October 10, 2007
Appendix
B - Homelessness Crisis Intervention Model
Appendix C - Quality
Assurance Template
Statewide
Planning Initiative Work Groups and Steering Committee
Work Group 1 – Reducing the Need for Crisis Intervention
Work Group 2A – Assuring a Consumer Friendly System
Work Group 2B – Assisting Self-Represented Litigants
Work
Group 3 – Utilizing Lawyers to Enhance Access to Justice
Work
Group 4 - Expanding Resources
Work Group 5 – Sustaining and Assuring Quality
Work Group 6 – Sustaining and Promoting Leadership for Justice
Planning Initiative Steering Committee
Click
on the work group or committee link listed above to get to the issues covered
by that group, their proceedings and pertinent information or resources.
Timeline
and Master Calendar of Planning Related Meetings
Click
here for a Timeline of the planning process and a Master Calendar of
Planning Related Meetings
Updates on Planning Initiative
Click here for news items and updates on the planning process from Planning Initiative Chairperson, Colleen Khoury
Why
Plan?
Discussion
of the need for statewide planning for justice began in 2004 following an
evaluation of
JAG
Planning Retreat
JAG
kicked off the planning initiative with a successful Planning Retreat held on
Click here for Retreat Related Materials
Scope
of Planning
The
goal of the statewide planning process is to create and implement a vision of
what the civil justice system should look like as it relates to those who need
the assistance of a legal professional and are not able to obtain it.
The primary focus of the process is low-income people and others who
experience barriers to access to justice such as language, distance,
disability or age.
Income is often used as a guideline in defining the scope of planning work such as this. Here, we consider ‘low-income’ to include individuals or families with incomes at 200% or below of the federal poverty guidelines. This includes roughly one-third of the individuals in the state, and a significantly larger percent of certain vulnerable groups. However, because specific income limits can be arbitrary and there are people above this threshold who cannot afford a lawyer, a subsidiary goal of this process is to obtain a better understanding of this group, the barriers they face and solutions to address those barriers.
Since the Retreat, JAG has been working to pull together the work groups listed above that will explore the issues and strategies identified at the Retreat and in surveys circulated to lawyers, judges and consumers several months ago.
To
date, more than 115 individuals from all around
Throughout
the end of 2006 and into the first half of 2007 the work groups will survey
the landscape and assess the current situation in
Planning Resources
During
JAG’s planning process this website will serve as a clearinghouse of
background materials and resources that may be useful to those involved in the
planning process or others who are interested in becoming informed about
access to justice and related issues.
Click
here for General Planning Related Resources and Information
Stakeholder
Input - Surveys
As
part of the planning process, the Justice Action Group needs help in
identifying current barriers to access to justice in
Click
here for links to JAG Planning Surveys and Survey Results
Other
JAG Initiatives
Legislative Initiative
In
2005 JAG initiated legislation to offset cuts, maintain current services and
enhance access to justice by providing funding for legal aid for low income
and needy elderly Maine people through a direct appropriation and an increase
in the amount of surcharges on court fees and civil fines paid into the Civil
Legal Services Fund. That
legislation (LD 715 - An Act to Provide Support for Legal Services for
Low-Income Mainers) was signed into law on
Click
here for more information about JAG's Legislative Initiative
Limited English Proficiency
A
Report to the Justice Action Group on Access to
Click here for a copy of the report
If
you have questions or require further information, please contact:
Justice
Action Group
Caroline Wilshusen, Project Coordinator
40 Water Street
Tel:
(207)622-3477
Fax: (207)623-4140
Email:
cwilshusen@mbf.org
