Access to Civil Justice Commission Transition Brings Focus to Self-Represented Litigant Mission

Chief Justice Charles T. Canady has issued administrative orders to transfer the work of the Florida Commission on Access to Civil Justice to the Judicial Management Council and, separately, to create a Workgroup on Access to Justice. The administrative orders are available here: Administrative Order No. AOSC21-47PDF Download, In Re: Florida Commission on Access to Civil Justice and Administrative Order No. AOSC21-48PDF Download, In Re: Workgroup on Access to Justice.

Justice Jorge Labarga will serve as chair of the new Workgroup, continuing the role he held for the Access Commission with the new nine-member Workgroup comprising four judges and five members representing the legal community and justice partners.  Justice Labarga created the Access Commission in 2014 when he was serving as Chief Justice.  He has served as its chair throughout its existence and will continue in that role with the Workgroup.

“Given the Commission’s broad foundational work, the Court finds that it is now appropriate to transition to a project-based approach to addressing specific access to justice challenges in the State Courts System,” Canady’s order states.

The Workgroup on Access to Justice will pursue projects that “will focus on improvements that can be made within the State Courts System to assist self-represented litigants and support the judicial branch in ensuring effective access to justice for all.”

To start, Chief Justice Canady’s administrative order directs the Workgroup to develop educational materials that will assist self-represented litigants in participating in court proceedings that are conducted using remote technology.  The order also directs the new Workgroup to address electronic filing by self-represented litigants. Currently, those who represent themselves may file electronically, but are not required to do so. The order notes there are benefits to electronic filing, particularly for self-represented litigants, including access to Do-It-Yourself Florida interviews, an initiative begun by the Judicial Management Council and going forward in collaboration with the E-Filing Portal.

The Access Commission raised public awareness of the issues surrounding access to justice with regular public meetings broadcast statewide, media briefings before many of those meetings, and a series of accomplishments, including:

  • Public outreach presentations by members of the Commission
  • Contributing to creation of the Florida Courts Help mobile app
  • Production and distribution of animated videos aimed at helping self-represented litigants
  • Creation and curation of a resource page for veterans on the Commission’s website, and
  • Creation of a COVID-19 legal resource page

“The Access Commission has successfully raised awareness about the important issue of access to civil justice in Florida’s courts. It brought together stakeholders across branches of government, many justice partners, and the business community as well,” Justice Labarga said. “I am so thankful for the contributions of so many around our state and I look forward to the constructive work ahead for the Workgroup.”

Members of the new Access to Civil Justice Workgroup are:

  • The Honorable Stacy M. Butterfield, Clerk of Courts and County Comptroller, Polk County
  • Mr. Gregory W. Coleman, attorney, West Palm Beach
  • Mr. Thomas S. Edwards, Jr., attorney, Jacksonville
  • The Honorable Jonathan D. Gerber, Judge, Fourth District Court of Appeal
  • The Honorable Nina Ashenafi Richardson, County Court Judge, Leon County
  • The Honorable Jorge Labarga, Justice, Florida Supreme Court
  • The Honorable Linda L. Nobles, Circuit Judge, First Judicial Circuit
  • Ms. Leslie Powell-Boudreaux, Executive Director, Legal Services of North Florida, and;
  • Mr. John A. Tomasino, Clerk of Court, Florida Supreme Court

You may be interested in...

Introducing the Half Court Press!
March 11, 2024

The Half Court Press is a new publication designed to feature important news and events that happen between releases of the Full Court Press newsletter.

Chief Judge Recognition and Transition
February 28, 2024 | Chief Judge Christopher Sabella

Retired Chief Judge Ronald N. Ficarrotta, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, recently had a courtroom in the Edgecomb Courthouse in Tampa named in his honor. He was also presented with a plaque from the...