14292 Double Dutch Cir
Parker, Colorado 80134
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Unrepresented people are often overwhelmed by their next steps, keeping track of case documents, and getting retraumatized by retelling their story again and again.
With funding from the Maryland Judiciary, Civil Justice Inc., partnered with us to develop the Maryland Justice Passport, a digital portfolio for litigants to track and manage their own case.
Partnering with over 20 service provider organizations, the Maryland Justice Passport has created over 300 unique portals for unrepresented people in Maryland.
In Maryland, people without lawyers will often visit a self-help center as a first step towards addressing legal problems. They might bring with them court papers, lease agreements, receipts, photos or other important case documents. This can be particularly painful for survivors of domestic violence, crime victims, and people in high-conflict family law cases. After obtaining initial advice and information, self-help center staff often refer people without lawyers to other organizations for additional help or representation. Unrepresented people may also need to take steps on their own to advance their case. The Maryland Justice Passport is a trauma-informed technology that helps people navigate the legal system, store documents, track events, and share their case information with providers.
When people without lawyers visit a self-help center and bring with them court papers, lease agreements, receipts, photos or other important case documents, they also have to explain their problem to self-help center staff which can be particularly painful for survivors of domestic violence, crime victims, and people in high-conflict family law cases. After obtaining initial advice and information, self-help center staff often refer people without lawyers to other organizations for additional help or representation. Unrepresented people may also need to take steps on their own to advance their case, such as gathering evidence for trial, requesting a housing inspector visit their apartment, or contacting a domestic violence service provider for safety planning and representation.
Civil Justice applied for funding from the Maryland Judiciary to develop a tool to support the development of a tool for self-represented litigants. The tool was designed to meet the needs of unrepresented people as well as legal service providers assisting them with their legal issues. The Maryland Justice Passport was developed, allowing people to digitally connect with legal service providers and empowering them to take steps in their case.
A Justice Passport is a digital portfolio of information to assist Marylanders seeking legal help. A Justice Passport can be used to track applications for services, store important documents, and keep all case information organized. The Justice Passport includes case information, documents and court paperwork, which can be scanned at self-help centers or other referral locations to help people organize and store their documents. Information belongs to unrepresented people and is secure but they can give full or limited access to providers so they can run conflicts checks, give brief advice, or provide representation. Justice Passports also contain an electronic to-do list which provides the unrepresented person with next steps. If they are referred to other providers, the app will auto-populate with pertinent information (address, phone number, hours, directions, etc.).
