Topics for ExplorationHow is our Perception of Law in America Shaped by the Media?
From Perry Mason to My Cousin Vinny, from LA Law to the Good Wife, Americans are fascinated with courtroom drama & comedy. Through a lively journey through some of Hollywood’s films and television shows, we will explore how the media has influenced our perception of our legal system and what is possible within it. Some might argue that films and television programs distort our view of the legal system, others may argue that they actually help us better understand the process. What are some of the issues that television programs and movies have adequately addressed and helped us to understand? |
Which of the following movies or television shows had the greatest impact on your view of the legal system?
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Topics for Exploration (continued)
What Our Founding Fathers Envisioned: Does Self-Reliance = Pro Se
In this edition of Pro Se Nation we will look at the historical roots of Pro se litigation throughout the ages and in England and the United States and how the concept of representing oneself has changed to what we have today. We’ll look back at the lives of some of the most colorful Pro se litigants which included William Penn, Founder and Proprietor of Pennsylvania, who never earned an academic degree and proceeded as a Pro se litigant in 1670.
Pro Se Litigants: Fools or Fearless Seekers of Justice?
Abraham Lincoln said, “He who represents himself, has a fool for a client.” But what if the client just does not have enough money to secure a lawyer? Is the only alternative to being a fool shrinking into silence and inaction – forever yearning for justice? In this program we’ll explore well worn assumptions about the law, lawyers, judges, justice, and the American legal system. We’ll look at how the system is changing by offering greater access to anyone who wants to “self-represent.”
Serving Up Legal Services Ala Carte
There is a growing interest in unbundled legal services, also known as discrete task representation or limited scope assistance, that would give those with limited funds legal assistance without obligating attorney or legal services organizations to provide full legal representation. Those who are in favor of this model believe that it is a sensible way of ensuring that a greater number of individuals have access to legal services. The critics, however, fear that unbundled legal services will undermine goals of equal access to justice when clients may need more assistance than an unbundled legal services program can or will provide. We will talk to some of the past and current Pro se litigants who have or are utilizing these services to – go it alone.
**** Recent Cases in the Spotlight ****
The changing definition of what an employee is -- in America.
Exploration of recent rulings, such as California's 'Uber' ruling and its ramifications.
What should American employees know about their rights in the workplace?
In this program, we follow the host into the American corporation and medium sized business to address and explore what the average employee should know about his or her rights in the workplace. Equal rights, fair pay, harassment, and right to privacy are among the issues to be explored.
Whistle While You Work: A Look at the Nation’s Whistleblower Laws
This program will focus solely on the nation’s whistleblower laws and how they have changed and continue to change. What kind of communication is protected and what is not? We will explore the evolution of Federal and state whistle blower laws and consider how much they empower or limit employees and businesses.
How does the law impact the medical treatment we receive?
In this segment, we follow the host who will be lying on a gurney or rolling in sitting in a wheelchair and will introduce this program that will explore what the average person should know before he or she enters a hospital.
Lady Justice meets the Grim Reaper, What You Should Know About the Law and End of Life Decisions
This program will explore laws governing medical decisions, living wills, and controversial topics such as assisted suicide.
Justice: the Dream and the Reality…
What did the scholars and philosophers envision and what is the reality that we face today? We will examine what is missing in the American justice system. What are we doing right? And what needs to change? Is there an alternative to going broke in the process of seeking justice? How can we move closer to the ideal of justice?
What Our Founding Fathers Envisioned: Does Self-Reliance = Pro Se
In this edition of Pro Se Nation we will look at the historical roots of Pro se litigation throughout the ages and in England and the United States and how the concept of representing oneself has changed to what we have today. We’ll look back at the lives of some of the most colorful Pro se litigants which included William Penn, Founder and Proprietor of Pennsylvania, who never earned an academic degree and proceeded as a Pro se litigant in 1670.
Pro Se Litigants: Fools or Fearless Seekers of Justice?
Abraham Lincoln said, “He who represents himself, has a fool for a client.” But what if the client just does not have enough money to secure a lawyer? Is the only alternative to being a fool shrinking into silence and inaction – forever yearning for justice? In this program we’ll explore well worn assumptions about the law, lawyers, judges, justice, and the American legal system. We’ll look at how the system is changing by offering greater access to anyone who wants to “self-represent.”
Serving Up Legal Services Ala Carte
There is a growing interest in unbundled legal services, also known as discrete task representation or limited scope assistance, that would give those with limited funds legal assistance without obligating attorney or legal services organizations to provide full legal representation. Those who are in favor of this model believe that it is a sensible way of ensuring that a greater number of individuals have access to legal services. The critics, however, fear that unbundled legal services will undermine goals of equal access to justice when clients may need more assistance than an unbundled legal services program can or will provide. We will talk to some of the past and current Pro se litigants who have or are utilizing these services to – go it alone.
**** Recent Cases in the Spotlight ****
The changing definition of what an employee is -- in America.
Exploration of recent rulings, such as California's 'Uber' ruling and its ramifications.
What should American employees know about their rights in the workplace?
In this program, we follow the host into the American corporation and medium sized business to address and explore what the average employee should know about his or her rights in the workplace. Equal rights, fair pay, harassment, and right to privacy are among the issues to be explored.
Whistle While You Work: A Look at the Nation’s Whistleblower Laws
This program will focus solely on the nation’s whistleblower laws and how they have changed and continue to change. What kind of communication is protected and what is not? We will explore the evolution of Federal and state whistle blower laws and consider how much they empower or limit employees and businesses.
How does the law impact the medical treatment we receive?
In this segment, we follow the host who will be lying on a gurney or rolling in sitting in a wheelchair and will introduce this program that will explore what the average person should know before he or she enters a hospital.
Lady Justice meets the Grim Reaper, What You Should Know About the Law and End of Life Decisions
This program will explore laws governing medical decisions, living wills, and controversial topics such as assisted suicide.
Justice: the Dream and the Reality…
What did the scholars and philosophers envision and what is the reality that we face today? We will examine what is missing in the American justice system. What are we doing right? And what needs to change? Is there an alternative to going broke in the process of seeking justice? How can we move closer to the ideal of justice?