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The Legal Services Corporation’s 2020 Innovations in Technology Conference is being held January 15-17 at the Portland Hilton Downtown, 921 SW Sixth Avenue, Portland, OR, 97204 . All attendees must register using the conference registration website.
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Thursday, January 16 • 2:30pm - 3:45pm
Virtual Law Clinics: Making Pro Bono Flowers Bloom in Rural Legal Deserts

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In many states with large rural areas, legal aid programs are often hard-pressed to find sufficient volunteers to handle pro bono cases locally. Rural attorney retirements are outpacing new recruits to small-town practice. This session will demonstrate how three states – Oregon, Ohio and Colorado – are using technology to connect urban attorneys and rural clients with virtual practice tools that give clients better access to pro bono help, even when the attorney is hundreds of miles away. The session will include live demonstrations of the "virtual practice" case placement and case handling tools currently in use in the Oregon project, and demonstrations of a virtual pro bono network in Ohio using Amazon Echo Show video devices to connect urban attorneys to clients in three rural courts. The panel also will feature a similar project in Colorado that connects Denver pro bono attorneys to rural clients.

Speakers
avatar for Steven McGarrity

Steven McGarrity

Executive Director, Community Legal Aid, Ohio
Steven McGarrity is the executive director of Community Legal Aid Services in northeast Ohio. Mr. McGarrity started with Legal Aid as an attorney, focusing his practice on family law and consumer debt. In his time with Legal Aid, he has held various management positions, including... Read More →
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Jennifer Cuesta

Rural Pro Bono Program Attorney, Colorado Legal Services
Jen Cuesta is the program coordinator for the Colorado Legal Services' Pro Bono Innovation Fund grant. Since 2015, she has worked to research, design, implement and evaluate 5 clinic models that will increase services to low-income communities in Colorado.
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Ed Marks

Statewide Pro Bono Manager, Legal Aid Services of Oregon
Ed Marks is Statewide Pro Bono Manager for Legal Aid Services of Oregon. Ed's mission includes working with law firms, Bar leaders and other partners to create user-friendly "virtual practice" environments that allow rural Oregonians to have access to pro bono help from urban-based... Read More →


Thursday January 16, 2020 2:30pm - 3:45pm PST
Galleria - North Ballroom Level