OUR FIGHT The Response Team: Innovating Service on TRLA’s Front Lines

When potential clients reach out to TRLA, they are directed to our Telephone Access to Justice (TAJ) hotline. When they call the TAJ hotline, these potential clients interact with operators who assess their eligibility for our services. Unfortunately, being eligible does not necessarily guarantee access to TRLA services due to the high demand. Our organization covers over 40 practice areas and has no choice but to prioritize individuals facing extreme circumstances and fighting to survive in the most critical situations in our service region. If a client meets eligibility criteria and their case aligns with TRLA’s priorities, it is accepted for extended representation.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, the demand for our services surged. Consequently, we reevaluated our service model to create support for cases that would not qualify for our extended representation. Enter the Response Team, formed in 2022, to team up with the TAJ hotline. This addition to our service delivery model aided in bridging the gap for individuals who do not qualify for full-service but could benefit from help navigating legal issues. The Response Team provides high-quality advice and limited assistance to applicants whose circumstances require a guiding light.

The Response Team has also improved the vetting process for priority cases, utilizing subject matter experts within TRLA’s practice areas. These individuals advocate for cases to receive extended services based on their thorough analysis. Staff attorneys expedite guidance, provide brief support, and offer referrals to self-help resources or pro se1 representation.

Collaborating across TRLA’s practice areas, this Team assesses the efficiency of various case-handling processes due to the substantial monthly caseload. Since its establishment in 2022, the Response Team has closed 1,371 brief service cases², has provided 1,353 clients with brief services, and has DR ³’d 2,185 cases.

The Response Team comprises nine staff attorneys, two paralegals, and Special Project Director Dina Hardwick. Attorney Hardwick utilizes the combined 159 years of legal experience among the attorneys and 50 years among the paralegals.

While the Response Team only provides limited advice to our clients, there has been no limit to our clients’ gratitude for receiving substantive guidance to navigate their complex legal situations.

The support our clients receive comes from seasoned litigators and top-performing intake staff. Our clients are in good hands with our Response Team, who know the ins and outs of the many complex legal issues they’re calling to receive assistance with.”
- DINA HARDWICK

1) Pro se, in modern law, means to argue on one's own behalf in a legal proceeding, as a defendant or plaintiff in civil cases, or a defendant in criminal cases, rather than have representation from counsel or an attorney.

2) Brief Services (now called Limited Action) address a client's legal problem without extended representation. Such services may include legal advice, document preparation and\or review, or guidance on how to prepare as one's own representative in court.

3) DR stands for Disposition Review – these are cases assigned to the Response Team for resolution. This includes cases that were eventually placed for extended services, rejected due to ineligibility, recoded in the case management system, and/or closed with brief services.