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PROVIDENCE, RI –The Rhode Island Judiciary is proud to announce the opening of a second Resource Center at the Garrahy Judicial Complex in Providence. The Resource Center, located on the 2nd floor, will be open Mondays and Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Court staff are available to assist self-represented litigants and members of the public.
The new Garrahy location builds on the success of the Judiciary's first Resource Center at the Noel Judicial Complex in Warwick, which opened in November 2024.
Following national best practice guidelines, the Resource Centers are designed to assist self-represented litigants and members of the public navigate the court system. Resource Center staff can assist visitors with courthouse wayfinding, clarifying legal procedures, and utilizing plain language to explain court forms and answer form-related questions. While all forms must be completed by the court user and not court staff, Resource Center staff can connect users with legal providers such as the Rhode Island Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Program and Rhode Island Legal Services when necessary. The Resource Center at the Noel Judicial Complex has also initiated a pilot program with the United Way of Rhode Island, which provides an on-site staff person on specific days to assist court visitors with obtaining social services.
"The establishment of a second Resource Center at the Garrahy Judicial Complex, the Judiciary's most heavily trafficked courthouse, is meaningful to judicial officers, staff, community partners, and court users alike," said Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul A. Suttell. "As the Judiciary strives to meet the needs of the increasing number of self-represented litigants that come to our courts each day, the Resource Center offers vital services. It is my hope that all court users and visitors alike will avail themselves of the services and support that the Judiciary’s Access to Justice Office has put in place at our two Resource Centers, including connecting people with non-legal services that they may need, such as housing or public assistance support through the United Way.”
The Resource Center at the Noel Judicial Complex is currently open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The Resource Center at the Garrahy Judicial Complex is currently open Mondays and Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Resource Center can be reached at (401) 823-1126 or AccessToJustice@courts.ri.gov.
For more information about the Access to Justice Office's Resource Centers, please visit: https://www.courts.ri.gov/about/Pages/access-to-justice.aspx
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