Access to Hawaii Courts Expanded to All State Libraries

State-of-the-art interactive technology will help the public fill out court forms.

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The Hawaii State Judiciary, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii and the Hawaii State Public Library System today entered a partnership intended to expand access to the courts via libraries.

The libraries will provide access to the Self-Help Interactive Forms on the library system’s 800 computers and 250 netbooks statewide.

The new software — likened to TurboTax and other interactive tax preparation programs — can also be accessed from any computer. The forms are also available online at Legal Aid’s LawHelp website and the Judiciary’s website.

Recktenwald, Burns and another unveiling new library form system

Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald, M.Nalani Fujimori Kaina of Legal Aid Society and State Librarian Richard Burns.

Hawaii State Judiciary

“Together, we have identified the 13 most frequently used civil legal forms and found a solution to assist self-represented litigants fill out these forms,” Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald said in a press release, adding, “This is a great resource for the public, and will help the courts process cases more effectively and efficiently.”

Said Legal Aid’s executive director, M. Nalani Fujimori, “We felt that libraries would be the natural partner for us to provide self-help services because library staff members are already trained in assisting the public with research issues.”

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