Every year, thousands of Michiganders navigate the civil legal system without a lawyer. They’re trying to stay in their homes, manage debt, care for their families, or protect their rights, all through representing themselves in court. However, certain court forms that they need to fill out can be hard to understand. When that happens, their cases can be delayed or even dismissed.

The Michigan Justice for All (JFA) Commission, established in 2021, is leading a statewide initiative to modernize and standardize court forms as part of its broader vision for 100% access to justice in civil legal matters. With leadership from the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO), the State Bar of Michigan, and the Michigan State Bar Foundation, and with input from 30 commissioners across the legal and community sectors, JFA is coordinating a comprehensive reform effort.

With JFA and SCAO, PPL—along with the support of independent contractor Rachael Zuppke— will lead a human-centered design process to address the persistent challenges users face in understanding court procedures and how forms function within them. Although plain-language revisions have improved terminology, usability testing shows that more structural changes are needed. The goal is to create a reusable design system for paper and PDF forms, along with tools and materials to help form administrators implement these improvements at scale.