Strategy

Strategic planning is different from general education. These tools help a self-represented litigant learn tactics, build a coherent and persuasive case and prepare for negotiation either in trial or in mediation.

Educate
Teach SRLs about the basics of good negotiation and provide a foundation to minimize inequities between parties. Solutions should help SRLs to recognize that a multitude of outcomes are possible and to set the stage for good negotiation practices. These tools have been developed to be engaging, personal and humane as they impart experience to their users.

Build
Elicit and capture salient aspects of a litigant’s story through progressive, iterative, and interactive tools. Representation support tools, while not attorney substitutes, are designed to aid SRLs in producing a fair and coherent representation of their story, their needs and their objectives. These tools teach the SRL about what the court deems to be important, thus helping them better represent themselves.

Cooperate
Provide incentives and tools for parties in dispute to cooperate and settle their dispute without having to go to trial

Strategy
System Elements

The research project entitled "Meeting the Needs of Self-Represented Litigants" (Access to Justice)
was developed jointly by Chicago-Kent College of Law, the Institute of Design and the National Center for State Courts.

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