There is “a unity of interest between the courts and the public with respect to assistance for self-represented litigants. Lack of legal assistance is clearly an enormous barrier for the public." In response to this critical situation, the Task Force has developed a comprehensive statewide plan which recommends a full menu of approaches to meeting the needs of the public and the courts.

I believe there are two areas where reform would improve the quality of advocacy by the California Supreme Court Bar. First, California would benefit from developing a team of advocates within its Solicitor General's office to routinely represent the State before the California Supreme Court. Second, California law schools should consider developing a clinic dedicated to helping identify good cases for state supreme court review and ensuring those cases are well presented.

Cole's desire to reconcile enhanced protections for civil liberties with both the short- and long-term interests of security is laudable. Whether his particular prescriptions are desirable, however, is another matter.

The Elkins Family Law Task Force is one example of the various, self-initiated improvement efforts that California’s court system has undertaken to increase access to justice and improve services in the judicial branch.