Pro se training expands to District 10

By Ann Zimmerman, Statewide pro se Coordinator

Four day-long pro se training sessions for court staff were conducted in October in the Tenth Judicial District (headquartered in Eau Claire) as a part of the Wisconsin court system's continuing effort to address the issues raised by the increase in self-represented litigation. The sessions ran in late October in Menomonie and Washburn. 

"The Tenth District recognizes the importance of ongoing training for our court staff on the issues of self-representation and we were very pleased to provide it for them," said Chief Judge Benjamin Proctor, Eau Claire County Circuit Court. "Our court staff does an excellent job of assisting all litigants in the Tenth District and this is one way to ensure that our staff is getting the support and education they need to continue their fine work."

Leading the effort to organize the sessions was Scott Johnson, district court administrator for the Tenth Judicial District. "We are fortunate that we had an excellent faculty," said Johnson.  Four judges participated in the training sessions: St. Croix County Judge Edward F. Vlack III, Washburn County Judge Eugene Harrington, Chippewa County Judge Roderick Cameron, and Reserve Judge Gary Carlson. Johnson, State Law Librarian Jane Colwin, Retired Tenth Judicial District Court Administrator Gregg Moore and I also served as faculty. "The program was designed for hands-on learning," said Johnson, "and we engaged the staff with an interactive program, including sessions on role-playing and self-represented litigants' frequently asked questions." 

This comprehensive training program was initially developed and implemented in the Ninth Judicial District in 2008 with one important objective being the development and implementation of a program that could be replicated across the state. According to Johnson, "The Ninth District developed the program in partnership with the District 10 Self-Represented Litigants Committee, the State Law Library, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court to create a program model for use throughout the state."  

After the District Nine kick off, the program was implemented at a regional level in 2008-09 through the Office of Judicial Education. District One will be implementing the program in December. 

Recent estimates place the current level of family law cases in which at least one side proceeds without an attorney in excess of 60 percent statewide, and the numbers are likely to continue rising given the current economic climate. Because of this, court personnel often struggle with providing quality customer service, prioritizing work demands and adhering to legal and ethical constraints concerning the unauthorized practice of law.  This training program helps them address those concerns. 

For further information about the pro se court staff training sessions, contact Statewide Pro Se Coordinator Ann Zimmerman at ann.zimmerman@wicourts.gov.

Back to top

Back to The Third Branch current issue