Wyoming Judicial Branch Court Navigator Pilot Program

• Publication year: 2024
• Citation: Vol. 47 No. 5 Pg. 14
• Pages: 14

Wyoming Judicial Branch Court Navigator Pilot ProgramNo. Vol. 47 No. 5 Pg. 14Wyoming Bar JournalOctober, 2024

Wyoming Judicial Branch Court Navigator Pilot Program

by Victor Payne

The Court Navigator Pilot Program uses non-lawyer volunteers, trained to provide guidance, support, and resources to self-represented litigants so they may navigate the legal system more effectively. It represents an ambitious initiative that holds the promise of enhancing access to justice and streamlining court processes for self-represented litigants and the court system.

The Wyoming Judicial Branch celebrated a significant achievement with the launch of its inaugural Court Navigator Pilot Program on April 1. Guided by the visionary leadership of Chief Justice Kate Fox and the judges of the 7^th Judicial District, the Wyoming Judicial Council crafted a strategic plan to confront the pressing challenge of improving access to justice. Central to this initiative was the establishment of the Court Navigator Pilot Program, designed to provide assistance to selfrepresented individuals navigating the complexities of the legal system.

State courts nationwide are seeing a drastic increase in the number of self-represented litigants (SRLs) in civil cases. While reliable data on the exact percentage of SRLs is difficult to identify due to disparate data collection methods^[1], anecdotally, courts report that 60% to 75% of their cases have at least one SRL.^[2] The deluge of SRLs presents a myriad of challenges. SRLs' lack of knowledge and information related to their cases often leads to poor experiences and diminishing confidence in the justice system.^[3] SRLs have also reported repercussions related to their personal lives due to the daunting nature of navigating the legal system without assistance, including health and financial issues and social isolation.^[4]Not only are these experiences often negative, and at times even traumatic, for SRLs, they create a significant burden on the court system, contributing to congested dockets and an increasing strain on judicial resources. Without assistance, SRLs often struggle to navigate the complexities of the legal process, leading to delays, procedural errors, and inefficiencies.

In response to these challenges, Wyoming's Access to Justice Commission invested substantial time and effort conducting an extensive examination of methods to assist SRLs and create a better experience for litigants and the courts. The Commission's research revealed that court navigators could work to alleviate the burden on all stakeholders by assisting with some of the more frustrating aspects of navigating the legal system. Drawing on insights from successful models and speaking with local and national experts on addressing the needs of self-represented litigants, the Commission crafted a proposal outlining the framework for...