Unrepresented Litigants' Bill of Rights for New York City Family Court

Client
Legal Information for Families Today
Faculty
Ana Oliveira, Dennis Smith
Team
Diana Benton, Rachael Goldstein, Jessica Harris, Amalea Smirniotopoulos

Legal Information for Families Today (LIFT) provides support and services to litigants navigating the Family Court system with­out an attorney. LIFT recognized that unrepresented litigants often do not understand their basic rights, creating a significant obstacle to their success in court. The Capstone team helped LIFT develop the first Unrepresented Litigants' Bill of Rights and provided recommenda­tions for the implementation and dissemi­nation of the document. Using surveys, interviews, and focus groups with unrep­resented litigants and court staff, the Capstone team researched how much liti­gants know about their rights, and whether the Litigants' Bill of Rights could be used in Family Court. The Bill of Rights and final report will help LIFT improve its services in Family Court and provide rec­ommendations for how to improve the overall court process.

Strengthening International Policy Initiatives in Transitional Justice

Client
International Center for Transitional Justice
Faculty
Andrea Rogers
Team
Melissa Ah­Sue, Nadia Farra, Dorea Jackson, Hsiang­Yin Lin, Jared Pruzan

Founded in 2001, the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) works to redress and prevent the most severe viola­tions of human rights by confronting lega­cies of mass abuse. This work entails informing international policymakers of best practices in transitional justice, strengthening the recognition of transi­tional justice as a crucial feature of post­conflict peacemaking and peace building, and contributing to the development of international norms for accountability and justice. On the occasion of its tenth anniversary, ICTJ charged the Capstone team with investigating the role ICTJ played in the development of two seminal transitional justice framework documents that guide practices within the United Nations: the 2004 Secretary­General's report on rule of law and transitional jus­tice in conflict and post­conflict societies; and the 2005 revised UN Mediator Guidelines. The Capstone team reviewed relevant documents and conducted inter­views with UN officials and former and current ICTJ staff and consultants. By doc­umenting successes and key challenges throughout the organization's work, the Capstone team enhanced ICTJ's understanding of its role in creating these frameworks. The Capstone team provided ICTJ with a set of recommendations that will help the organization create more impactful strategies for future policy advocacy.