2017 NLADA Annual Conference

We will never have enough lawyers to serve the legal needs of all low- and moderate-income individuals and families. A significant part of the access to justice toolkit must include self-help materials. In this interactive session, we shift beyond the basics of plain language and readability and focus on ensuring that individuals can successfully use those materials. We apply insights from the fields of design, psychology, public health, and marketing to develop a framework for how legal aid organizations, public defenders, law school clinics, and others might re-conceptualize the design and delivery of written legal information for clients and unrepresented individuals. We work through examples provided by the audience to reimagine plain language materials, looking specifically at: theories of self-affirmation and motivation; the look and feel—format, font, word choice; more than words—illustrations and cartoons; and design thinking and user feedback.