The Deborah L. Rhode Center on the Legal Profession and the Stanford Legal Design Lab have partnered with the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, the nation’s largest trial court, for groundbreaking work aimed at designing and implementing innovative, evidence-based approaches to reducing barriers to participation in the judicial process and improving access to justice for all court users.

The unique partnership will map the barriers to full participation across the Superior Court. The primary focus will be on case types with a high proportion of self-represented litigants, including unlawful detainer (eviction), child support, and debt collection actions. The goal of the partnership is to raise participation rates and empower court users to better navigate complex and often life-altering legal proceedings.

“All around the country, courts are recognizing that existing processes prevent litigants—whether represented or not—from accessing the justice system effectively,” David Freeman Engstrom, JD ’02, LSVF Professor in Law and co-director of the Rhode Center, says. “The Superior Court of Los Angeles County is leading the way by systematically taking steps to break down those barriers. We are proud to be assisting in that critical work.”

The partnership was launched within the context of a rising tide of small-scale but high-stakes cases with self-represented litigants that have come to dominate state court dockets. Mounting evidence demonstrates that courts themselves can play a key role in addressing disparities in access to justice. Many court systems have been hampered by unnecessary complexity in court forms and multiple, disconnected processes for filing necessary court documents. With this collaboration, the court will gain access to reliable, evidence-based best practices on topics such as effective notice, digital self-help options, people-centered customer service, and more. Ultimately, the partnership seeks to help modernize the court by implementing and rigorously testing new approaches that can expand court access and make the system work better for all Angelenos. SL