The Governor's proposed budget includes $5 million in the Judicial Branch budget to implement a pilot project to increase representation to litigants in some civil matters. The language in the Governor's proposed budget describing the project is as follows:

• Access to Justice Pilot Program-The Budget includes $5 million General Fund, on a three-year limited-term basis, to implement a pilot program in three Superior Courts to identify and provide representation to unrepresented litigants in a wide range of civil matters, including domestic violence restraining orders, family law, child support, paternity, unlawful detainer, and probate. This pilot program will improve the courts' ability to handle its entire caseload and help relieve court congestion.

At the end of last year, Chief Justice Ronald George spoke publicly about the idea for a pilot project to start increasing services for litigants in need of representation. The legal services community deeply appreciates the Chief Justice's leadership in getting this idea so much attention and hopefully - at the end of the budget process - some funding to start developing real models to expand the representation available for low-income and other underserved litigants.

However, please also keep the following in mind:

• Please remember that this is just the Governor's preliminary budget, and thre is still the bulk of the budget process to go through, including the revised Governor's budget in May, and then the legislature's budget negotiations before the 2007 Budget Act goes to the Governor for his approval in June.
• The idea is still very rough, and the Judicial Council is currently working to start figuring out some of the details. The Judicial Council absolutely understand the wealth of expertise and experience the legal services community can bring to the work of shaping this concept and will involve the community in discussions around the development and implementation.
• This is NOT a project that will implement the right to counsel in civil matters (i.e., is it NOT a "Civil Gideon.") It is a way to test the idea of expanding representation for some litigants on some types of civil matters - with the long-term hope of building a stronger case for funding for full representation.

Click HERE to view the December 20, 2006 San Francisco Chronicle article on the Chief Justice's idea for the pilot projects.

Click HERE to go to the proposed budget for the Judicial Branch, which also includes $27.8 million to add 100 new judgeships over a two-year period beginning in April 2008 and $18.8 million to implement the Conservatorship and Guardianship Reform Act of 2006 and Court-Appointed Counsel for Children in Dependency Cases.