{"id":3890,"date":"2004-04-20T22:11:07","date_gmt":"2004-04-21T02:11:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/2004\/04\/20\/the-right-to-information-lite"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:58:51","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:58:51","slug":"the-right-to-information-literacy-in-the-justice-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2004\/04\/20\/the-right-to-information-literacy-in-the-justice-system\/","title":{"rendered":"The Right to Information Literacy in the Justice System"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a name='a1309'><\/a><\/p>\n<p><DIV dir=\"ltr\"><FONT face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/cyber.law.harvard.edu\/blogs\/static\/ethicalesq\/computerneg.jpg\" alt=\"computer neg\" \/>&nbsp; In an important position paper released on April 14, 2004, entitled <A href=\"http:\/\/216.17.143.36\/tbor\/tbordocs\/infoliteracypaper\">Supporting Information Literacy<\/A>&nbsp;(draft), the Washington State Access to Justice Board asserts that &#8220;<SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><EM><STRONG>Access to justice requires<\/STRONG> that all people must be able to <SPAN style=\"black\"><STRONG>recognize<\/STRONG> when they have a <STRONG>legal information need<\/STRONG> and must be able to <STRONG>locate<\/STRONG>, <STRONG>evaluate<\/STRONG>, and <STRONG>effectively use<\/STRONG> that information.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&nbsp; <\/SPAN>This skill i<\/SPAN>s called &#x201C;<STRONG>Information Literacy<\/STRONG>.&#x201D;<\/EM><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><EM>&nbsp;<\/EM><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV><br \/>\n<UL><br \/>\n<LI><br \/>\n<DIV><FONT face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">The Paper declares that &#8220;The justice system has the <STRONG>dual responsibility<\/STRONG> of offering or otherwise assuring availability of both physical access (computer literacy) and intellectual access (information literacy) to legal information&#8221; and that the justice system must design programs to meet both responsibilities.&#8221; <\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV><\/LI><\/UL><br \/>\n<DIV dir=\"ltr\"><FONT face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">This must-read 7-page document is loaded with seminal ideas.&nbsp; Here are a few concepts that seem most important for assuring that all Americans have ready access to legal information and services &#8212; and that all members of the judicial and legal communities, and all information experts, form a partnership to achieve the goal of computer and informational literacy:<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV><br \/>\n<OL><br \/>\n<LI><FONT face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&#8220;In order for everyone to have full access and use of the justice system, the justice system<STRONG> must further examine the nature of legal information that may be sought<\/STRONG>, the nature and demographics of the people wanting to access and use it, and not only provide it in the language read or spoken by the user, but in a manner relevant and understandable to the user.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&nbsp;<\/SPAN>&#8220;<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><br \/>\n<LI><FONT face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\">&nbsp;<FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><STRONG>Efforts to create better web portals, sites, and tutorials<\/STRONG> of legal information are key to proactive legal information dissemination.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><br \/>\n<LI><FONT face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT size=\"2\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/media-cyber.law.harvard.edu\/blogs\/static\/ethicalesq\/keysmall001.gif\" alt=\"!key 2\" \/><STRONG>&nbsp; <\/STRONG>When new legal information is created, it <STRONG>must be composed and disseminated using and accommodating the perspective of the first-time, inexperienced or unskilled user.<\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><FONT face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><br \/>\n<LI><br \/>\n<P style=\"0in 0in 0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><SPAN><SPAN style=\"mso-list: Ignore\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">The Justice System should foster the development of information literacy skills for everyone, especially to those who may be vulnerable or are <STRONG>on the wrong side of the digital divide<\/STRONG>. <\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><br \/>\n<LI><FONT face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><br \/>\n<P style=\"0in 0in 0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><SPAN><SPAN style=\"mso-list: Ignore\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\">Partnerships must be formed with information providers such as librarians and legal clinics that assist individuals in sifting through materials, deciding which are most relevant and useful, and determining options and next steps. <STRONG>Public libraries and law libraries are especially important leaders in this area. <\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><br \/>\n<LI><FONT face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><FONT face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN><STRONG>Libraries and other information providers and legal service providers<\/STRONG> must continue to play a critical role in teaching computer and information literacy skills, and should be supported in their efforts to do so.<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/LI><\/OL><br \/>\n<P dir=\"ltr\" style=\"MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px\"><FONT face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/cyber.law.harvard.edu\/blogs\/static\/ethicalesq\/redchecksmall001.gif\" alt=\"check red\" \/>&nbsp;Finally, there is one recommendation the legal community should especially heed:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P><br \/>\n<BLOCKQUOTE><br \/>\n<P dir=\"ltr\" style=\"MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px\"><FONT face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\">&#8220;Because legal information is a very specific piece of the larger universe of government information, <STRONG>the legal community is obligated to identify a baseline necessary for understanding and using legal information.<\/STRONG><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&nbsp;<STRONG> <\/STRONG><\/SPAN><STRONG>A<\/STRONG> <STRONG>dialogue between<\/STRONG> past, current and potential legal consumers, <STRONG>individuals who seek or may seek legal information, and the justice system is needed<\/STRONG> to determine baseline legal information literacy skills that are necessary to create true legal literacy standards.&#8221;<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&nbsp;<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P><\/BLOCKQUOTE><br \/>\n<P><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><FONT face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN>[Thanks to <A href=\"http:\/\/www.selfhelpsupport.org\/library.cfm?fa=download&amp;resourceID=50606&amp;appView=folder&amp;folderID=0&amp;print\">SelfHelpSupport.org<\/A> for pointing to this Paper.]<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P><br \/>\n<P align=\"center\"><FONT face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><FONT face=\"Times New Roman,Times,Serif\" size=\"2\"><SPAN><STRONG><EM>Congrats-<FONT color=\"red\">Congrats<\/FONT>-Congrats<\/EM><\/STRONG><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P><br \/>\n<P align=\"center\"><FONT face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><FONT face=\"Arial\"><FONT size=\"2\"><FONT size=\"2\"><SPAN style=\"FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt\"><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\"><FONT face=\"Times New Roman,Times,Serif\" size=\"2\"><SPAN><STRONG>Best wishes &amp; thanks<EM>&nbsp;<\/EM><\/STRONG>to cyber-friend and colleague, <A href=\"http:\/\/www.benefitscounsel.com\/bio.htm\">B. Janell Grenier<EM>Esq<\/EM><\/A>, who is celebrating her first anniversary bringing us the benefit of&nbsp;<A href=\"http:\/\/www.benefitscounsel.com\/archives\/001016.html\">BenefitsBlog<\/A>!!<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; In an important position paper released on April 14, 2004, entitled Supporting Information Literacy&nbsp;(draft), the Washington State Access to Justice Board asserts that &#8220;Access to justice requires that all people must be able to recognize when they have a legal information need and must be able to locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information.&nbsp; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2926],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pre-06-2006"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6kP1R-10K","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3890"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3890\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13870,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3890\/revisions\/13870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}