Pro Se Networking

Today I participated in the first national network conference call sponsored by selfhelpsupport.org and Pro Se Collaborative. Approximately 50 people participated. The call was led by Susan Ledray, the Pro Se Services Manager at 4th Judicial District Court in Hennepin County, MN, and moderated by Richard Zorza, consultant with Zorza Associates. Ms. Ledray gave us detailed information about the self-help centers in her county and shared their plans for expansion.

I was especially interested to hear that many county law libraries in Minnesota have become hubs for self-help centers and that librarians are often charged with the responsibilities for managing, staffing, and maintaining programs and services. Ms Ledray noted that it is important to look at the assistance needed and offered throughout the entire court process, not just the pre-filing requirements and forms. Assistance to self-represented litigants is an integrated process throughout the court and examines at its core how cases and courtrooms are managed.

More of these conference calls will be planned in the future. Go to the selfhelpsupport.org website for more information. Feel free to contact me for more specific information as well.