A2J Author®, HotDocs and the National Server

Much of the success of the A2J Author® stems from its compatibility with the Law Help Interactive Server. The LHI server provides internet-based document assembly services powered by the HotDocs software. After an A2J Guided Interviews® is created, it is then uploaded to the LHI server and combined with its corresponding HotDocs form template to create an interactive interview for court forms. The HotDocs template is a digital representation of a blank court form that allows information collected by the A2J Guided Interviews® to be manipulated and inserted in the proper position on that form.

A2J Guided Interviews® are made available over the internet through court and statewide websites. The “front-end”software, A2J Author®, developed by Chicago-Kent and CALI, joined with the “back-end”technologies of the LHI server, HotDocs and LHI management tools, provide a full end-to-end solution (see Figure 3). This combined effort makes it possible to provide user-friendly assistance to thousands of self-represented litigants in a rapid and cost effective manner and make the help available wherever there is internet access.

Figure 3: A2J Author® Output Information Flow