A2J Author
The A2J Authoring Guide for Version 5.0
The A2J Authoring Guide is an online document that provides instructions for installing the software. It also provides a detailed description of the entire process of interview creation, from accessing the software to uploading a completed interview to the LawHelp Interactive server.
New York State Courts Access to Justice Program, Document Assembly Programs Best Practices Guide for Court System Development and Implementation Using A2J Author® (2013).
This document provides a practical guide on why and how to implement document assembly and A2J services, based upon New York State Courts’ experience in implementing document assembly services for low-income litigants. A2J Author® is featured throughout.
Pay special attention to Part II: Programming Essentials, pages 13-21.
All Inclusive A2J Guided Interview
Visit Law Help Interactive and complete the All Inclusive A2J Guided Interview® to see an illustration of all the features available in A2J Author®. Listen to audio clips, click “learn more” buttons, and experience all the tools at A2J Author’s disposal.
Alternative uses for A2J Author and Guided Interviews
Ronald W. Staudt, All the Wild Possibilities: Technology that Attacks Barriers to Access to Justice, 42 Loyola L.A. Law Rev. 1117 (2009).
Ronald Staudt notes that existing legal services cannot address the bulk of legal problems faced by the poor. With as much as 80% of the legal services needs of low-income Americans going totally unmet, Staudt proposes that software-based automation of basic legal services should be deeply explored as a solution to America’s justice gap. Using software such as A2J Author®, lawyers can build guided internet interviews for prospective clients and pro se litigants, automating some of the basic services that would otherwise never be rendered. Regardless of whether or how A2J Author® is employed by lawyers, such software gives us some perspective on some possible service models of the future, as well as potential solutions to America’s justice gap.
Final Report from TIG 09558: Northwest Justice Project Clear Online
The final report on a project funded by a Technology Innovation Grant (TIG) related to A2J Author.
Final Report from TIG 09478: Utah Legal Services Online Intake
The final report on a project funded by a TIG grant related to A2J Author.
Final Report from TIG 07193: Legal Aid of Western Ohio Online Intake
The final report on a project funded by a TIG grant related to A2J Author.
Two More TIG Recipients Successfully Launch Online Intake and Triage Portals
Reports on recently completed TIG projects “show online intake’s incredible value to the legal aid community, including its capacity to save time at legal aid call centers, lower the volume of data entry into case management systems, and ultimately help providers stretch their budgets further to serve low-income clients more effectively.”
Northwest Justice Project allows users to Get Legal Help through CLEAR*Online
CLEAR is Washington’s centralized intake, advice and referral service for low-income individuals seeking free legal assistance with civil legal problems. Explore this tool to appreciate the experience faced by Washington’s pro se litigants.
ABLE and LAWO Allow Users to Access Their Legal Help Line through the Web in Both Spanish and English
Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. and Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc. provide expanded language support to its users by creating A2J Guided Interviews in both Spanish and English.
HotDocs
HotDocs 10 Developer Installation Guide and Tutorial
This PDF document is broken into lessons designed to be done one at a time. These lessons will take several hours to complete. By completing them, you will become well versed in the use of HotDocs 10 and learn how data collected by an A2J Guided Interview can be assembled into a useful court document. It is suggested that new users start by completing Lessons 1-16 (skip 11, 14, and 17).
Help Topics for HotDocs Developer 10
Standards and Practices for HotDocs Server Applications in Legal Services by Capstone Practice Systems (2011)
A roughly 30-page resource prepared and maintained by Capstone Practice Systems. This resource addresses template standards, naming conventions, selecting, planning and designing applications, pointed component files, HotDocs versions and other topics relevant to developing templates for deployment in HotDocs Online.
Introduction to A2J Author and HotDocs
Basic HotDocs Training
Parts 1 & 2
Parts 3-9
Example: Order of Protection
Advanced HotDocs Training
Overview & Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
A2J Author New User Training
A2J Author – The Basics
A2J Author – The Interview Tab Features
Importing Variables into A2J Author
Organizing Steps Tutorial
New User Training – Back to Basics – Question Design
New User Training – How to Create Repeat Loops
New User Workshop – Functions
New User Training – Program Variables
New User Training – Simple & Conditional Branching
New User Training: Adding Audio, Video, & Graphics
New User Training – Multiple Choice & Check Boxes
New User Training – Advanced Conditions
New User Training – Exit to Save
New User Workshop – Variable Macros
A2J Author Advanced User Training
Advanced User Forum – Nested Repeat Loops
Advanced User Forum – Let’s Talk About Best Practices
Plain Language
- Plain Language & Readability
Test Assembly
