Sherlocks Provide Valuable Support for Self-represented Litigants
| Publication year | 2015 |
| Pages | 85 |
Columns
The Chief's Corner
Sherlocks Provide Valuable Support for Self-Represented Litigants
By Nancy E. Rice
Remember the first time you set foot in a courthouse? Maybe it was during law school, or to appear at your first motions hearing. Or maybe, like me, you visited a courthouse with a relative when you were a child. For most of us lawyers, that first court experience was exciting, but also a bit intimidating.
Now, imagine how you might have felt during your first courthouse experience if you had no knowledge of the law, had no lawyer to help you, and feared that the court might take away your kids, your rented home, or some of your hard-earned money. Would you be intimidated? Overwhelmed? Frightened?
For many people, the first courthouse experience resembles this second scenario. In an effort to meet the procedural, and often emotional, needs of self-represented litigants in civil cases, the Judicial Branch created the Self-Represented Litigant Coordinator (Sherlock) program in 2013. This program, designed to increase the public's access to the justice system by providing one-on-one procedural assistance to the unrepresented, has grown spectacularly in popularity with the public even though it remains largely unknown within the legal community.
This article shares a bit about the Sherlock program to raise attorney awareness of this valuable resource.
Program History
Chief Justice Directive 13-01 established the Sherlock program just over two years ago. Sherlocks now serve every judicial district in Colorado. They work in courthouses, usually in designated self-help centers, and provide procedural assistance to civil litigants. Sherlocks do not provide legal advice, but rather assist litigants and potential litigants in understanding the legal process. They offer information on court procedures, provide appropriate forms, and direct individuals to outside organizations for legal and other assistance, such as education and counseling.
The Sherlock program has seen tremendous success during its brief tenure. In 2014, the Sherlocks' first full year in operation, the program had more than 100,000 contacts with self-represented individuals. Contacts this year are on track to far exceed that number. Without the assistance of Sherlocks, many self-represented individuals may have...
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