By JODI SOKOLOWSKI
Buffalo Law Journal

Navigating the legal system can be confusing and intimidating for people who opt to represent themselves in court proceedings.

A new 8th Judicial District Court Resource Center will help unrepresented or "pro se" litigants find their way through the complexities of the court system. Staff will not be able to give visitors legal advice, but can distribute sample forms and referral information for area legal services.

District Administrative Judge Hon. Sharon Townsend said the venue was created to minimize inconvenience to citizens as well as to provide access to justice.

"You can't say we have a rule of law if people don't have access to justice," said Bar Association of Erie County President Cheryl Smith Fisher.

The center, in Room 105 of the Erie County Courthouse, was formally launched Friday but will not open until mid-summer.

Ann Arnold, a former deputy chief clerk in Niagara Supreme and County Court, has been hired to work at the center. A second court attorney and court clerk are expected to be named within a week.

The startup costs are minimal, Townsend said. About $8,000 for furnishings came from the state Office of Court Administration's Justice Initiatives program.

The center is a collaborative effort involving Erie County Clerk Kathy Hochul, the Bar Association of Erie County, the 8th Judicial District Pro Bono Committee and Hon. Juanita Bing Newton, New York's deputy chief administrative judge for justice initiatives.

A representative from the New York State Unified Court System said that approximately 27 percent of litigants in civil matters in the state - excluding Family and Surrogate's court cases, which generally involve higher pro se rates - opt to represent themselves in court.