Beyond Legal Information: Building a New Vision for Self-Help in DC

Across the country, people with limited resources are facing urgent legal problems with no lawyer and no idea of what happens next.

They might have some information. But they don't know which parts of the law apply to their situation, what steps to take, or where to start finding answers.

These widespread challenges have helped fuel the appetite for legal self-help initiatives across the country, including here in Washington, DC. The DC Bar Foundation has begun the process of identifying a partner organization to lead the development of a coordinated, user-centered self-help system for the District. The initiative will be designed to complement existing legal services while expanding access to legal information and assistance.

The effort is built on the knowledge that existing resources are not meeting the urgent needs of all DC residents navigating civil legal problems, and it draws on research by the DC Access to Justice Commission and its Self-Help Work Group. The Commission’s 2024 Justice for All report documented a fragmented landscape of self-help resources in DC. The Commission collected nearly 1,200 materials from more than 50 organizations, frequently finding duplication, gaps, and resources that had not been updated in years. The report concluded that maintaining a useful self-help system requires dedicated infrastructure, staffing, funding, and a highly coordinated approach.

A National Evolution

Legal self-help is not new. For decades, courts, legal aid organizations, and nonprofits have created forms, fact sheets, hotlines, videos, and other tools to help people navigate legal issues.

But the most successful approaches today are moving beyond simply providing information. Increasingly, they are focused on helping people understand their options, take action, and navigate complex legal processes more effectively.

In Ohio, Susan Choe, executive director of Ohio Legal Help, said that’s been her experience. Launched in 2019 following a recommendation from the Ohio Supreme Court’s Task Force on Access to Justice, Ohio Legal Help provides legal information, self-help tools and court forms, and connections to legal and community resources.

"If you're going to be truly helpful to self-helpers,” she said, “folks have to create ecosystems to support them along with information websites."

Recognizing that people in search of answers may be experiencing the worst day of their lives, Choe’s approach is to ask, “How can we make it a little bit easier?"

"People want to get to the finish line,” she said.

AI, Technology, and the Human Factor

Technology is also changing the landscape. Artificial intelligence is creating new opportunities to help people find information, complete forms, and navigate legal processes. But experts caution that technology alone is not the solution.

"AI tends to be very confident," said Joseph Schieffer, founder and CEO of A2J Tech, a DC Bar Foundation partner that has worked on legal self-help systems across multiple jurisdictions.

"It tends to want to help you go wherever you want to go, but that may not be the right place,” he said.

Both Schieffer and Choe emphasized that successful systems start with people, not technology. The most effective approaches are built around the real experiences, challenges, and needs of the people seeking help.

Lessons from the DC Resource Bridge

That philosophy is already shaping the DC Bar Foundation's approach.

To create and optimize the DC Resource Bridge, the District’s now one-year-old, one-stop referral service for free and low-cost legal help, the DC Bar Foundation has worked alongside host organization Legal Aid DC, technology partner A2J Tech, more than 25 participating legal services providers, and a wide range of community stakeholders.

The effort is grounded in research, community engagement, and direct feedback from District residents who described a legal system that was often difficult to understand and navigate.

"As we think about the future of legal help in DC, we're building on the knowledge within our community and our collective success in creating the DC Resource Bridge," said CEO Kirra Jarratt.

"Written resources are just the beginning. We want to think expansively, creatively, and responsively about designing new pathways to the right help at the right time.”

According to Schieffer, one of the strengths of the DC Resource Bridge model is the way it combines multiple perspectives: systems-level leadership, frontline expertise from advocates working directly with residents, and technology designed around user needs. Together, those elements create a strong foundation for innovation and continuous improvement.

Those same lessons will help guide the next phase of work in DC.

A More Connected Continuum of Help

The self-help system envisioned by the DC Bar Foundation is not intended to replace attorneys or legal representation.

Rather, it will help expand the continuum of services and support available to people with legal problems. The National Center for State Courts describes access to justice as having “timely and affordable access to the amount and type of legal help required for a fair outcome”—whether someone is navigating the legal system independently or with help. Different people need different levels of support depending on the complexity of their situation.

For some residents, a trusted source of information, a guided tool, or navigation support may be enough to resolve a problem. Others will still need advice or full representation from an attorney.

"This initiative won't replace the critical role that lawyers play," Jarratt said. "But it will help far more people understand their options, take action, and get timely and trustworthy guidance when legal problems disrupt their lives."

The goal is to create a coordinated system that helps residents understand their rights, identify their options, navigate legal processes, and connect with additional support when they need it.

The eventual system could include written resources, guided tools, videos, courthouse kiosks, community-based assistance, community justice workers, referral pathways, and other innovations that help residents find support more easily. The specific model has not yet been determined, but the goal is to create a more connected resident experience that helps them get the support they need no matter where they start.

By building on the lessons of the DC Resource Bridge and emerging best practices from around the country, the Foundation hopes to help create a more connected and effective legal help ecosystem for District residents.

Because while no single solution can close the justice gap on its own, every additional pathway to help brings us one step closer to a future where more residents can understand their rights, solve legal problems, and access the support they need.