The Software
A2J Author® is a software tool developed by CALI and the Center for Access to Justice & Technology at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law to deliver greater access to justice for self-represented litigants by enabling lawyers and law students to rapidly build user-friendly web-based document assembly tools called A2J Guided Interviews®. These A2J Guided Interviews allow users to complete court documents by presenting a series of easy-to-understand questions while graphics virtually lead users along the path to the courthouse, where these documents can be filed. A2J Author ® is currently used in more than 42 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, Australia, and Canada. More than 1,000 A2J Guided Interviews are actively used on the national server, Law Help Interactive, and CALI's own a2j.org. These A2J Guided Interviews have been used by self-represented litigants more than 7,000,000 times since 2005. These A2J Guided Interviews help self-represented litigants in a wide variety of legal matters including filing for divorce, getting protection orders, answering debt collection suits, and modifying child support orders. The latest version of A2J Author version is mobile responsive, accessible, and user friendly for end users and those automating the forms. An internal document assembly tool, called the A2J Document Assembly Tool (A2J DAT), allows for complete PDF document assembly packages entirely within A2J Author.
A2J Author in the Classroom
In partnership with IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, CALI® developed a model program for CALI® member schools that integrates A2J Author® into law school courses. Piloted in the Spring of 2013 as the A2J Course Project, A2J Author has now been taught in over 25 law school courses and clinics. Sample syllabi, course materials, software training exercises, and technical support are available to CALI member schools free of charge. For more information, visit https://www.a2jauthor.org/content/law-school-courses.
To Learn More About A2J Author
A2J.org (CALI's hosting site for A2J Guided Interviews)
A2J Author Authoring Guide (Software Manual)
A2J Author Sample Exercises (practice exercises to help you learn to automate forms using A2J Author)