ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR SELF-REPRESENTED LITIGANTS THROUGH THE NEW HAMPSHIRE CIRCUIT COURT NAVIGATOR PROGRAM: A PATH FORWARD

The New Hampshire Circuit Court Navigator Program currently operates with two court employees to provide legal information and assistance to self-represented litigants (SRLs). This report highlights the current effectiveness of the Navigator Program and provides recommendations for how the Program can continue to grow sustainably and expand access to justice. Ultimately, the research reveals that an expansion of the Navigator Program would improve the experience of New Hampshire Circuit Court SRLs.
We first contextualize the motivation for the Navigator Program based on the New Hampshire Access to Justice Commission's legal need assessments. We survey the current status of the Navigator Program relating to the next funding biennium and provide history of this Program within New Hampshire as well as similar programs across the United States. Next, we describe our research methodology for program evaluation, which included observational analyses, interviews, and an original survey. Subsequently, we explain our findings on structural challenges to justice in New Hampshire, evaluating the Program's effectiveness for SRLs and the court system, and discuss current barriers to Navigator effectiveness. Finally, we provide short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations from stakeholders for potential future Navigator Program improvements.