Regulatory Reform as an Access to Justice Imperative

This session brought together leading U.S. reformers that are at the cutting edge of efforts to reform rules that prohibit non-lawyers from using their knowledge of the law to help other people. We heard from Canada, where in the province of Ontario thousands of independent community paralegals deliver legal services without lawyer supervision. Panelists shared why they see regulatory reform as an access to justice imperative, and described the steps they are taking to mitigate any fears of consumer harm.

Keynote: Rebecca Sandefur, Professor, The Sanford School, Arizona State University and Faculty Fellow at the American Bar Foundation

Panelists: 

• Bridget Gramme, Administrative Director and Adjunct Law Professor, Center for Public Interest Law, University of San Diego School of Law
• Stacy Butler, Professor of Practice; Director, Innovation for Justice Program, University of Arizona Law School
• Will Morrison, Strategic Policy Counsel, Law Society of Ontario

Moderator: David Udell, Executive Director, National Center for Access to Justice

Resources:

Session notes: Regulatory Reform as an Access to Justice Imperative

Voices from Beyond the Legal Profession

This panel brought together people from outside the legal profession who are regularly confronted with the unmet legal needs of vulnerable people. They described the nature and scale of the unmet legal needs they encounter and described the ways they try to help people find their way forward. They talked about the potential they see in reforms that could empower them to do more to help people with their legal problems than current rules allow.

Panelists:

• Rohan Pavuluri, CEO and Co-Founder, Upsolve
• Katie Stewart, National Coordinator, Veterans Justice Outreach, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Michael Buono, Head of Reference and Patron Services, Brentwood Public Library (Brentwood, NY)
• Sarah Bové, Partner and Family Law Legal Technician, Legal Technician Division

Moderator: Chris Albin-Lackey, Legal and Policy Director, National Center for Access to Justice

Resources:

Session notes: Voices from Beyond the Legal Profession