The Administrative Office of the Courts has launched an information kiosk in Hamilton County Juvenile Court to help self-represented litigants with access to legal information and connect them to local legal resources.
Since his election in 2010, Court Clerk Gary Behler has introduced several technology upgrades to improve the services the court provides, including becoming the first fully digital state court clerk office in Tennessee.
The kiosk is based on the Help4TN.org platform. Users are directed to local legal aid offices, local pro bono clinics, court approved forms and other resources.
The court kiosk project is an initiative piloted by the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission.
“The self-represented litigants in Hamilton County will benefit greatly from this user-friendly resource,” Juvenile Court Judge Robert Philyaw says. “I commend Clerk Behler for his ongoing vision to use new technology in the delivery of services to our clients.”
The Help4TN.org platform was developed by Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services and West Tennessee Legal Services. Help4TN.org serves as a storehouse of legal resources for self-represented litigants and offers educational materials related to child support, parenting plans and other topics.
The money for the kiosk grants came from AOC’s technology fund and excess funding collected as a part of the Supreme Court’s continuing legal education efforts.
The AOC also has launched kiosks in Blount, Hawkins, Knox and Sullivan counties.
Source: Hamilton County Juvenile Court Clerk