By Elsa Maxey

There are challenges when it comes to accessing justice for those unable to afford it and the Texas Supreme Court has been working on addressing that very issue. This week, Fort Bend County Clerk Dianne Wilson and Fort Bend’s 387th District Court Judge Robert Kern will participate in Dallas at a statewide symposium to explore ways to help self-represented litigants protect their rights in courts.  The Texas Access to Justice Commission, Legal Services Corp., along with the Texas and Dallas bar associations will all be part of a Texas Forum on Self-Represented Litigants. 

Wilson will join nationally known speakers and statewide leaders, including Justice Harriet O'Neill of the Supreme Court of Texas and serve on a panel with representatives of three other counties to discuss issues, problems, and challenges “that counties face with self represented litigants,” she said.

The presentation will be about two programs already in place, the Fort Bend County's Legal Self Help Research Centers at six county libraries and LAWYERS CARE legal assistance funded by the Fort Bend Bar Association. "The Self Help Research Centers provide legal information, legal references and forms for the average person to determine if they have a legal case and whether they want to proceed with legal action on their own or hire an attorney,” explains Wilson.  Knowing something more in-depth about their case after utilizing available resources may help provide some degree of comfort to a prospective litigant, when it comes to selecting an attorney or proceeding on their own, she explains.

Since the law can be very complex, neither a judge or court clerk can provide legal advice, “which often is where people begin seeking legal advice," she adds.

According to Wilson, the Texas Access to Justice’s forum will begin a process to determine what can be done throughout the state that will provide some level of legal assistance on issues to include landlord disputes, minor civil disputes, simple divorce and other legal action by way of the Internet to include legal forms and instructions.

Wilson said that in Fort Bend County, Judge Kern implemented some legal support procedures in his family court. “We initiated some unusual ideas on handling pro se several years ago,” said Judge Kern, which he will be sharing with other participants at the state forum.  A total of 12 pro se cases come before his court each Friday afternoon.

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