Who Wrote That Up For You?

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Miguel Willis at Penn Carey Law and ATJ Tech Fellows - Who Wrote That Up For You? Nov 9, 2022 Nov 10, 2022

Show notes

Miguel Willis is executive director of the ATJ Tech Fellows Program and Innovator in Residence for the Future of the Profession Initiative at Penn Carey Law. Miguel returned to "Who Wrote That Up For You" to discuss his vision for the future of law and the legal profession, one that broadly guarantees access to justice and the rule of law while protecting the mental health of lawyers and reflecting the diversity of our population. But he also placed the crisis in access to justice within a human rights framework, viewing it holistically as something beyond courts and litigation. In Miguel's view, justice ultimately depends on the resilience of the community.

– Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miguelhwillis/
– Connect on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiguelElCapiTon
– Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miguelelcapiton/
– Visit the faculty profile: https://www.law.upenn.edu/faculty/willism1

For more on the need to fix U.S. courts, subscribe to "Who Wrote That Up For You?" wherever you listen to podcasts. If you're in court without a lawyer, visit courtroom5.com to get access to justice today.

Co-hosts Sonja and Debra on Recognizing Legal Issues - Who Wrote That Up For You? Nov 8, 2022 Nov 09, 2022

Show notes

"Who Wrote That Up For You?" co-hosts Sonja Ebron and Debra Slone discuss the case of a homeowner who sued the company responsible for collecting his trash. Many have expressed surprise that someone would file a lawsuit over such a minor complaint. There are many seemingly trivial issues that could be resolved in the courts but are rarely viewed as causes of legal action. In fact, the latest "Justice Gap" report from the Legal Services Corporation finds that low-income Americans seek legal help for less than 1 in 5 legal problems they experience. Perhaps if more people have access to the courts and are able to resolve disputes there, we'd all be less concerned about the general sense of injustice in the culture.

Read the Justice Gap report: https://justicegap.lsc.gov/the-report/

Mike Whelan, Jr. at Lawyer Forward - Who Wrote That Up For You? Nov 7, 2022 Nov 08, 2022

Show notes

Mike Whelan, Jr. is the author of "Lawyer Forward: Finding Your Place in the Future of Law," a guide for solo law firms struggling to build sustainable practices in a fast-moving legal industry. Mike sees the future of law from a supply-chain perspective based on his experience in logistics and as the owner of a solo law firm. He wants law firms and their clients to recognize that lawyers shouldn't do all the work in handling a legal matter, but it's important to understand which parts are appropriate for non-lawyers to handle. The future of law will be better for everyone when this challenge is overcome.

– Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikewhelanjr/
– Connect on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikewhelanjr
– Visit the website: https://www.lawyerforward.com/

Jim Gibbs, CEO at Meter Feeder - Who Wrote That Up For You? Nov 4, 2022 Nov 05, 2022

Show notes

Jim Gibbs is the co-founder and CEO of Meter Feeder, a mobile app that automatically pays for parking when you park your car. The app was inspired by Jim's inability to find coins for parking meters, resulting in costly parking tickets and unwanted interactions with local traffic courts. Jim recalled his last corporate job and the moment his boss persuaded him to become an entrepreneur, reminding him that technical expertise alone would not make him rich. Meter Feeder has helped people avoid getting caught up in the civil justice system, so Jim encourages local governments to invest in his app to benefit their citizens and to better collect parking fees.

– Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/meter-feeder-inc/
– Connect on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeterFeeder
– Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meterfeeder.inc
– Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meterfeederapp/
– Visit the website: https://www.meterfeeder.com/

Patti Mazurkiewicz and Rae Lynn Christians, Integrity Nurse - Who Wrote That Up For You? Nov 3, 2022 Nov 04, 2022

Show notes

Patti Mazurkiewicz is a nurse and certified life care planner. She described the use of life care plans in personal injury litigation and the process of creating them. She explained that certification to become a life care planner includes courses and exams on the purposes, procedures, and ethics of estimating the medical and other needs of an injured person for the remainder of their life. Life care planning is used by both plaintiffs and defendants involved in personal injury litigation. While most parties seeking life care plans are represented, there is a significant number of pro se litigants amongst the clientele.

– Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patti-mazurkiewicz-06b710233/

Rae Lynn Christians is a registered nurse and founder of Integrity Nurse Consulting and Life Care Planning. She explained the difference between life care planning and medical cost projections, a simpler and less expensive estimate of the needs of an injured person. Medical cost projections are often the first step in the life care planning process and are more often used to drive early settlements in personal injury cases. Rae Lynn is sometimes used as an expert witness when life care plans become part of trial evidence.

– Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rae-lynn-christians-1447b83a/
– Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/integrityrn
– Visit the website: https://integrityrn.com/

Alison E. Peck, Author and Law Professor - Who Wrote That Up For You? Nov 2, 2022 Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

Alison Peck is a law professor at West Virginia University and the author of "The Accidental History of U.S. Immigration Courts," an astonishing recollection of the origins and growth of the Justice Department procedures that decide whether immigrants stay or go. Professor Peck described the types of claims heard by these agency courts, the legal authorities relied upon to decide cases, and the adverse consequences for people who are denied the right to stay. Professor Peck urged people seeking asylum to consult a lawyer or the growing number of self-help resources available online. The book is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other fine bookstores.

– Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alison.peck.771
– Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-peck-88159958/
– Connect at WVU Law: https://www.law.wvu.edu/faculty-staff/faculty-information/alison-peck
– Get the book: https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520389663/the-accidental-history-of-the-us-immigration-courts
– Visit the website: https://www.alisonpeckbooks.com/

Emily LaGratta, LaGratta Consulting; David Emanuel, I FIND U - Who Wrote That Up For You? Nov 1, 2022 Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

Emily LaGratta at LaGratta Consulting is a lawyer, former public defender, and justice reform innovator. She helps judges and other court professionals reform their operations to benefit court users, primarily pro se litigants. Emily explained "procedural fairness" and its relationship to actual fairness. She also explained the other components of actual fairness in courts and some of the work she's doing to improve it.

– Connect on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmilyLagratta
– Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eegold
– Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-gold-lagratta-670121a/
– Visit the website: https://www.lagratta.com/

David Emanuel is a private investigator and owner of I FIND U Investigations in South Florida. David shared the career trajectory that led him to focus on asset location and recovery and other private investigation work. He sometimes serves as an expert witness but more often sees his clients settle cases with the results of the evidence he finds. David does tons of pro bono work for pro se litigants and friends.

– Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-emanuel-a85550138/

Mark M. Bello, Author and Lawyer - Who Wrote That Up For You? Oct 31, 2022 Nov 01, 2022

Show notes

Mark M. Bello practiced law for 25 years before founding a litigation finance company. In retirement, he began writing about a case early in his career in which he got justice for two victims who'd been sexually molested by a Catholic priest. It was easier to tell the story as fiction, and thus began a new career as a legal fiction writer. Mark is the author of several works of fiction based on the legal profession and politics, as well as children's books on bullying. Tune in to hear the raucous debate on legal principles and self-representation.

– Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarkMBelloBooks/
– Connect on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkMBello
– Connect on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZo-BDcskTiTI1EbhSXKM_w
– Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmbello/
– Connect on BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/mark-m-bello
– Visit the website: https://www.markmbello.com/

Co-hosts Sonja and Debra Debate New Research - Who Wrote That Up For You? Oct 28, 2022 Oct 29, 2022

Show notes

"Who Wrote That Up For You?" co-hosts Sonja Ebron and Debra Slone discuss new research on the characteristics of pro se litigants in U.S. federal courts. Law professors Roger Michalski and Andrew Hammond reviewed the dockets of 2.5 million federal cases over a 10-year period to identify the geographic, demographic, and economic backgrounds of the sizable population of people representing themselves in our courts. Their study, "Mapping the Civil Justice Gap in Federal Court," was published by the Wake Forest Law Review in June.

The authors note that their findings "present pro se litigants as a radically democratic element in federal courts." This is supported by data showing the broad diversity of incomes, rural vs urban balance, and ethnicity. Sonja argued that federal courts hear only a tiny fraction of the nation's civil cases, but these results were likely representative of state courts, as well. Debra took a different view, that there were bound to be differences in the characteristics of state court litigants because the types of claims were different. Regardless, there is a need for more research in this area so that courts and court personnel better understand the people they serve.

Read the study: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3931568

Kenn Goldblatt, Author; Doug Noll, Mediator - Who Wrote That Up For You? Oct 27, 2022 Oct 28, 2022

Show notes

Kenn Goldblatt, author of "The Pro Se Litigant's Civil Litigation Handbook," discussed his background as a paralegal and pro se civil litigant, and his desire to help others by sharing his knowledge. Kenn shared the benefits of the book for people handling their own litigation, including understanding the process and some of the options at each phase of a case. He often provides direction and services to pro se litigants who reach out to him for help. The book, published in 2016, is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and AuthorHouse.

– Read the book: https://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/BookDetails/736383-The-Pro-Se-Litigant-s-Civil-Litigation-Handbook
– Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenn-goldblatt-77bab925/
– Connect on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kenngoldblatt

Attorney Doug Noll left the practice of law to honor his preference for making peace over war (litigation). Doug became a mediator, helping parties in litigation settle their differences without going to trial. He shared a recipe for reducing conflict and calming the anger that many people bring to mediation, called "affect labeling" or calling out a person's emotion so they feel seen. Doug also shared advice for settling a claim as a pro se litigant, including starting the mediation process as soon as possible, understanding that it doesn't require anyone to accept a bad deal.

– Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doug.noll.52
– Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougnoll/
– Visit the website: https://dougnoll.com/

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