The Legal Trends Report leverages aggregated and anonymized data from the tens of thousands of Clio legal software customers in the United States, supported by extensive survey research of the legal industry. The report offers unique insights into the most important issues faced within the legal profession. This year, Clio uncovered new insights into how consumers are searching for lawyers, how lawyers are missing the mark when it comes to delivering legal services in the ways consumers need, and what that means for access to justice.
Affinity groups provide an opportunity for participants to discuss ideas and topics of mutual interest. Each group will have at least one discussion facilitator, but this is a chance to learn from one another by asking questions, sharing information and engaging in informal conversations.
Pick up your boxed lunch from the Plaza Level Foyer and bring it with you to eat during the affinity group session.
Alex Clark (Montana Legal Services Association), Claudia Johnson (Pro Bono Net) and Carlos Manjarrez (Legal Services Corporation) will serve as facilitators for this discussion.
Session participants will collaboratively "teardown" apps in the Access-to-Justice space. A "teardown" is an in-depth exploration of how effectively a particular design meets – or doesn't meet – its goals. During the first part of the session, you'll hear from panelists with direct experience building and deploying apps for courts and legal aid as they conduct example teardowns. Afterwards attendees will work together to review apps that have been submitted for feedback. The session will end with an open discussion of how the A2J community can establish a positive, open, and collaborative space for evaluating and sharing feedback about each other's work.
I lead Design at Community.lawyer, a "no code" app builder and marketing platform for legal service professionals. Designing legal services means rethinking (1) people; (2) process; and sometimes (3) tech. If tech is part of your legal design work, you should leverage off-the-shelf... Read More →
Dave Guarino is the former founding engineer and Director of GetCalFresh at Code for America, an online application tool for SNAP that today assists 1/4 of all applications statewide. He currently consults on technology strategy for serving low-income users, particularly around government... Read More →
What does hacking truly mean? We hear the term every day, but what does it actually look like? One of the biggest impediments to cybersecurity is the confusion around what the bad guys are really doing. During this session, three legal technologists who have built dozens of applications and had to protect against hackers, will demonstrate how people actually “hack” into something. From simple JavaScript manipulation to SQL injection, the speakers will hack a fake website set up to show just how easy it is and how damaging the results can be. Audience members are encouraged to bring a laptop and attempt some of the exploits along with the presenters. All audience members will walk away with a better understanding of what “hacking” looks like as well as various methods of preventing the exploits they just witnessed. Audience members will also be able to see if some of their own websites contain the same vulnerabilities and be able to talk confidently with their IT staff/vendors.
Contract Performance Officer, Philadelphia Legal Assistance
Jonathan Pyle is the Contract Performance Officer at Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA), where he is responsible for LSC compliance, reporting, and implementing new uses of technology to analyze, streamline, and expand service delivery. Before joining PLA, he practiced law in the... Read More →
Associate Director of Legal Technology, Harvard Law School - A2J Lab
Matthew Stubenberg graduated from Maryland Law School in 2013. Interested in using technology to change how the law is practiced, he has developed numerous software applications. Matthew’s first big success was MDExpungement.com, a website that automates the expungement process... Read More →
Director of Law and Technology, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia
Nate Vogel is Director of Law and Technology at Community Legal Services (CLS) in Philadelphia. His work focuses on integrating data and technology into CLS’ legal and policy advocacy. Before joining CLS, Nate served as a law clerk for the Honorable Judge Gerald Austin McHugh of... Read More →
Learn about OCLC’s project collaborating with LSC to provide training for public library staff on how to improve community members’ access to civil legal information and services. Staff from OCLC’s WebJunction program will present briefly about their training plans and would love to learn about your partnerships with public libraries. OCLC is a nonprofit global library cooperative providing shared technology services, original research and community programs so that libraries can better fuel learning, research and innovation.
Since joining the WebJunction team at OCLC in 2005, Betha has furthered continuing education for library staff through defining competencies (Editor-in-Chief of Competency Index for the Library Field), developing curriculum, delivering training both in-person and online, and exploring... Read More →
Long-term legal aid staff are the bedrock of legal aid programs. With their wisdom and years of practice comes decades of documents, articles, and forms, plus the gems hidden away in their heads that are never transcribed. This session will focus on the use of SharePoint Online as an internal solution to mine the gems of long-term legal aid staff, while also accommodating the demands of the new generation who need a collaborative work space to thrive. The way we work becomes part of our professional identity. The various workarounds and quirks that employees develop when they have outdated technological systems can feel very personal. Being sensitive to the working styles of individuals while also overhauling the work space for efficiency is a delicate balance to strike. It takes authentic listening, understanding, training, and a sense of humor. Do not let fear of change dictate future growth. Legal aid organizations should be using tools employed by major companies to enhance the provision of legal services.
Ashley Holliday is General Counsel at West Tennessee Legal Services, Inc. She manages the program’s Technology Initiative Grants, the intake unit, the Senior Citizens Law Project, and the consumer law unit. Prior to joining WTLS, Holliday was in private practice handling consumer... Read More →
Cathy Clayton, Executive Director of West Tennessee Legal Services (WTLS), returned to WTLS in 2015 after 27 years in private practice as a litigator where she volunteered her time and skills as a past board president for WTLS and as a pro bono attorney and mediator. As a seasoned... Read More →
Dr. Tara Saylor is a research and evaluation consultant located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is Principal of Tara Saylor & Company, joined by professors Ryan Saylor (Univ. of Tulsa) and Camille Bryant (Johns Hopkins Univ.). All three consultants have PhDs from the University of Virginia... Read More →
This session will unpack the process of transitioning to Office 365. Presenters will cover all stages of transition and offer advice about what to consider before making the switch and how to maximize Office 365 once you’re a user. Hear tips and strategies from an Office 365 migration specialist and a legal services organization who has recently made the transition. This session will cover email and include other functionality like Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, etc.
John Harvey is a Subject Matter Expert for implementing Microsoft’s Office 365 Cloud, including SharePoint Online and Office Online, as well as a Salesforce Architect. John has been in the technology consulting profession for over 20 years with the last 11+ years spent as part... Read More →
Deputy Director of Operations, Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands
Paul Swiney is the Deputy Director of Operations for Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, responsible for “all things technology” while also having oversight of Finance, Human Resources and Operations. Prior to his arrival in late 2015, Paul spent a 25-year... Read More →
Christopher “Chris” Jones joined the Legal Services Alabama (LSA) team in February 2018 and serves as IT Director after having served as IT Project Coordinator and Systems Administrator. During his time at LSA, Chris has overseen the completion of an LSC Technology Improvement... Read More →
This session will teach attendees about the progress Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made in expanding access to justice throughout the world, but also how laws have been implemented to stymie that progress. For example, in France, Article 33 makes it punishable by up to 5 years in prison to conduct analytics of judicial decisions. California Business & Professions code 17940 requires companies to disclose use of bots, and in Tennessee, a State Senate bill seeks to define online legal services as the unlawful practice of law if certain requirements are not met. The session will include additional examples and explore whether regulation of AI in the law will help or hurt its adoption and what legal and ethical issues attendees should watch out for in using AI in their own legal practices.
Tom Martin is a legal bot advocate, lawyer, author and speaker. He is CEO and founder of LawDroid Ltd. (a legal AI company dedicated to helping lawyers automate their law practice). Tom is also co-founder of Vancouver Legal Hackers, advisor to ATJ Tech Fellow Program, member of ARAG... Read More →
Client information can be especially vulnerable when attorneys do not take proper steps to secure data on their network. According to the American Bar Association Model Rules, Rule 1.1 Comment 8 states that, “a lawyer should keep abreast of changes in the law and its practice, including the benefits and risks associated with relevant technology…” An organization must work to secure its clients’ data and information using technology currently available, or risk facing bar discipline, or worse, loss of client information. Presenters will discuss various tips to secure client information, the risks, impact, and remedies for a ransomware attack, and the reasons to have a Bring Your Own Device (or BYOD) policy in place that will protect client data.
Michael Hofrichter’s current title at Houston Volunteer Lawyers is the Operations and Compliance Director, however his responsibilities go beyond that. In his Director role, he oversees the Program’s support staff; updates HVL training/policy/template libraries; manages the IT... Read More →
Sart Rowe is working with MyLegalPitstop.com as CTO to help find technology solution to help LLLT’s server family law clients. He was formerly with Northwest Justice Project, managing the National Technology Assistance Project and teaching at the University of Washington and Seattle... Read More →
CMS user groups allow programs with the same case management system to informally meet and discuss product features, future plans, and challenges. Angela Tripp will help facilitate this group.
This affinity group discussion serves as the in-person meet-up for those interested in Self-Represented Litigation Network's (SRLN’s) recently launched Tech for Justice Working Group. This Working Group is designed to support justice tech entrepreneurs and innovators to better understand the practical challenges of creating ancillary products to court, legal aid, and private bar services, as well as to build a community of practice to identify and advance best practices for sustainable, result oriented products that support justice. This discussion is an opportunity for problem solving, relationship building, and shaping future topics and activities of the Tech for Justice Working Group. Attendees will have the opportunity to develop new relationships and to discuss successes, failures, and lessons learned with justice tech entrepreneurs and subject matter experts, as well as influence the priorities of the Working Group. Attendees will be able to share their experiences and SRLN facilitators will share relevant insights and strategies learned in the evolution and deployment of non-automated self-help resources and services.
Projects Lead, American Academy of Arts & Sciences
Eduardo Gonzalez was named the Access to Justice Fellow at Georgetown Law’s Institute of Technology Law and Policy in September 2017. In this role, he is responsible for updating the Self-Represented Litigation Network’s 2008 Best Practices in Court-Based Programs for the Self-Represented... Read More →
Tanina is a professor at Georgetown Law and a faculty director of Georgetown’s Technology Law and Policy Institute. In 2012, she created the “Iron Tech Lawyer” program, one of the earliest law school classes that teaches students to build digital tools to help users navigate... Read More →
Docassemble leverages expert open-source coding principles to produce a user-centered and versatile document assembly experience. Some people are intimidated by the learning curve, but developers and lawyers are building a system of collaboration and support to make it easy to make and maintain Docassemble apps. It may sound dull, but the key is standardized tools and building blocks. This interactive session will cover what you need to set up a Docassemble shop, including software infrastructure, data and interview standards, and best practices. Not using Docassemble? Don't worry: the concepts and strategies explored in this session are useful for other automated document systems. With demos of development environments and lessons learned from live Docassemble projects, participants will learn how to make their own Docassemble programs with the backing of this collaborative community.
Contract Performance Officer, Philadelphia Legal Assistance
Jonathan Pyle is the Contract Performance Officer at Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA), where he is responsible for LSC compliance, reporting, and implementing new uses of technology to analyze, streamline, and expand service delivery. Before joining PLA, he practiced law in the... Read More →
Senior Attorney/Network Administrator, Greater Boston Legal Services
Quinten Steenhuis is a senior housing attorney, systems administrator, and developer at Greater Boston Legal Services, where he has worked since 2008. Quinten has practiced housing and eviction defense law since 2008, and has been a professional programmer and web application developer... Read More →
Associate Director of Legal Tech, Illinois Legal Aid Online
Matt has been producing automated documents at Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) since he started in January 2017. He creates and supports ILAO's guided interviews and automated forms, and he contributes to ILAO's other content. After earning a J.D. from DePaul University College of... Read More →
Michelle Bernstein's addictions include making tools that address demonstrated needs and exploring lessons learned. Her weapons of choice are front-end web development and algorithmic solutions. Previous projects include a cliff effects calculat
Self-help legal websites across the country hold a “gold mine” of data that often remains untouched, but has incredible potential. This session will provide an opportunity to learn about the potential for using self-help legal website data in support of advocacy and access to justice and to build effective inter-organizational partnerships for a stronger social safety net. Join the LawHelpCA team to learn about the collaborative possibilities and how website data can support the efforts of nonprofits, educational institutions, and advocacy groups towards building a more just future.
Senior Program Associate, Legal Aid Association of California
Safia is the Program Associate at the Legal Aid Association of California. She currently Safia works on maintaining LawHelpCA.org, the official free legal information resource of the state of California. As the Program Associate at LAAC she vets resources and organizations for usefulness... Read More →
Program and Technology Associate, Legal Aid Association of California
Theo (they/them) is the Senior Program and Technology Associate at the Legal Aid Association of California (LAAC). Theo currently co-coordinates LawHelpCA.org, California's statewide legal information page, and trains and supervises law student volunteers in trauma informed support... Read More →