Following several years of research and interviews with 259 self-represented litigants (SRLs) and 107 service providers in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, Dr. Julie Macfarlane of the University of Windsor Faculty of Law has issued a landmark report entitled, "The National Self-­Represented Litigants Project: Identifying and Meeting the Needs of Self-­Represented Litigants".

Dr. Macfarlane's Report explores the motivations and common experiences of SRLs, and the various resources and support services that SRLs typically engage in aim of resolving their legal problems. The Report then examines SRLs' interactions with lawyers and judges.

The Report uncovers notable SRL dissatisfaction with summary legal advice service models, and offers some recommendations on how to improve and extend free legal services (whether offered pro bono or through legal aid).

Read the full Report here, and the Executive Summary here.