Samuel B. Moskowitz Invited to Serve on Supreme Judicial Court Advisory Group

January 26, 2006 - Boston, MA
For more information contact: Joanne Thorud
(617) 589-3894; jthorud@davismalm.com

The Expanding Access Working Group, an adjunct to the Supreme Judicial Court Steering Committee on self-represented Litigants, recently invited Davis Malm attorney Samuel B. Moskowitz to serve on an Advisory Group established to review and comment on the Working Group's "unbundled" legal services Pilot Program.

The Access Working Group has been charged with the task of designing a pilot program that would permit attorneys to provide "unbundled" legal services in certain types of cases. "Unbundling" refers to the process of breaking down the multiple roles an attorney performs for a client into smaller, simpler groups of tasks. Unbundling, also called "discrete tasks representation," allows a client and attorney to determine which services are to be performed by the client, which services are to be performed by the lawyer, and the extent or depth to which the lawyer will perform the services. It provides the client with a middle ground between dispensing with a lawyer altogether or hiring an attorney for the full service package. It also gives attorneys who want to do volunteer work an opportunity to limit and control the commitment they are making to represent a client on a matter, which can otherwise be open-ended.

One of the main aims of the Pilot Program is to change rules that currently limit an attorney's ability to offer unbundled legal services. The Pilot Program aims to identify the rules that need to be changed so that attorneys can serve as counsel for specific parts of cases, hence "unbundling" their legal assistance into separate services rather than requiring all assistance to be "bundled" by one counselor. The Expanding Access Working Group hopes that this change will provide more assistance to clients in need.

As a member of the Advisory Group, Mr. Moskowitz will review the Pilot Program, offer suggestions and recommendations on its progress, and provide guidance on how the pilot program can be implemented most effectively. Retired Judge Edward M. Ginsburg is serving as chair of the Advisory Group.

About Davis, Malm & D'Agostine, P.C.
Founded in 1979, Davis Malm is a general practice law firm that concentrates on finding solutions for businesses and individuals in corporate, real estate, financing, insolvency and restructuring, employment, environmental regulation, litigation, and trusts and estate planning matters. Clear thinking, tough-mindedness, and a firm commitment to its clients' interests are the touchstones of Davis Malm's practice. The firm is known for its collaborative service, conservative staffing, and alertness to individual client needs.