With escalating demand for legal services for the poor and dwindling funding, how can technology help bridge the gap? This is a presentation I gave on Aug. 9, 2014, at the annual meeting of the National Conference of Bar Foundations. Note that where the presentation included embedded videos, I have included the URL to the video online.

1. Doing More with Less:
How Technology is Helping Deliver Legal Services
NCBF Annual Meeting
August 9, 2014
Robert J. Ambrogi, Esq.

2. 20%All the programs and resources devoted to
ensuring access to justice address only 20%
of the civil legal needs of low-income
people in the United States.

4. So how do we
do more
with less?

5.  1996
LSC report: ‘Order-of-
magnitude increases in
capacity’ through tech
 1998
First LSC summit on use of
technology to improve
access to justice.
 2000
LSC creates Technology
Initiative Grant program.
 2012
LSC convenes second
summit.
 2013
Second summit issues report

6. “Technology can and must play a
vital role in transforming
service delivery so that all poor
people in the United States with an
essential civil legal need obtain
some form of effective
assistance.”

7. 1. Statewide legal portal where triage directs users to
the most appropriate form of assistance.
2. Document assembly to support the creation of
legal documents by service providers and by litigants.
3. Mobile technologies to reach more persons more
effectively.
4. Business process/analysis applied to access-to-
justice activities to maximize efficiency.
5. Expert systems to assist lawyers and other service
providers.
Five components of implementation:

9. Web Portals
“A single, statewide mobile web access
portal in each state to which a user will be
directed no matter where he/she comes
into the system. The portal will support
computers, tablets, and smartphones.”

12. Triage
“We simply have to find a better way to
triage legal services — to allocate the
available services so they have the
greatest impact on the greatest number of
people.”
-Bonnie Rose Hough, Managing Attorney for the California Administrative
Office of the Court’s Center for Families, Children & the Courts, and
Richard Zorza, consultant on access to justice issues

19. Social Media
“Legal aid organizations and courts can
use social media to expand their outreach
to the community by posting information
about the availability of legal clinics, as
well as videos, self-help resources, court
information, and online intake programs.”

22. Document Assembly
“Plain language forms will be produced
through plain language interviews for all
frequently used court and legal forms.
Users will answer questions regarding
their legal matter, and the intelligent forms
system will use the information to
generate the appropriate form and display
it for review.”

23. A software tool that enhances access to justice for self-represented
litigants by enabling non-technical authors from the courts, clerks’ offices,
legal services programs, and website editors to rapidly build and
implement customer friendly web-based interfaces for document
assembly.
A2J Guided Interviews remove many of the barriers faced by self-
represented litigants, allowing them to easily complete and print court
and legal documents that are ready to use.
A2J Author

36. Mobile Technologies
Access-to-justice services will be
location-independent and accessible using
smartphones, tablets, and other mobile
devices.

38. Mobile friendly website

40. iProBono, Arkansas Access to Justice

41. Pocket DACA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTUm1dRezB8

42. A text and phone system that informs nannies, housekeepers and caregivers
nationwide about workplace essentials.
Workers can call in using any kind of phone at any hour to hear humorous and
informative episodes hosted by Clara. They can also subscribe to receive related
weekly tips via text message.
Spearheaded by REV-, with partners including NuLawLab, the MIT Center for
Civic Media, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and others.

43. http://vimeo.com/81213105

45. Video
“Videos posted to websites like YouTube
and Vimeo can help litigants learn how to
complete forms, prepare for court, and
understand their legal rights.”
-Jane Ribadeneyra, “Web-Based Legal Services Delivery Capabilities,” Harvard
Journal of Law & Technology, Fall 2012.

46. http://youtu.be/MjK4HdBSE0w?list=UUinIQe1Ql9zKjbc88YuTW7A

47. http://youtu.be/0z5SYm26QJ4?list=UUinIQe1Ql9zKjbc88YuTW7A

49. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebA_lESQas0

50. Using Games
“There are ways we could use
gamification and game mechanics to
create meaningful connections between
the public and legal services providers
and/or legal information for self-help
purposes.”
-Stephanie Kimbro, Virtual Law Practice blog

52. www.changeville.ca.gov

53. Estate Quest teaches estate planning basics

54. http://youtu.be/H6WbRLc8mmI

55. Expert Systems
“Expert systems emulate the decision-
making ability of human experts. In legal
services, these systems can be used to help
self-represented litigants navigate an
unfamiliar legal process or support legal
services professionals by augmenting
existing systems and practice tools.”

61. Role of Bar Foundations
“This report proposes a national vision
that must of necessity be achieved locally.
The proposal is ambitious. It must
overcome challenges not only of
technology, but of leadership, funding, and
resistance to change.”

62. • LSC’s TIG program for essential initial activities.
• The State Justice Institute.
• State legislatures and courts.
• IOLTA programs.
• Private foundations.
• Corporate sponsors.
• Individual donors.
• Private venture capital investment.
Key Part of Funding Strategy

63. “Substantial initial funding was
provided by The Chicago Bar
Foundation …”

64. • In 2009, acquired and deployed statewide case
management software used by 27 of 30 grantees.
• Currently exploring expansion of strategic investment in
technologies.
• Reimbursed registration cost for grantees to attend
national TIG conference.
• Facilitated discussion of statewide technology planning.
• Considering creation of technology advisory council.
Florida Bar Foundation

65. • With funds so limited, should any go to technology?
• With direct services so limited, should they take priority
over technology initiatives?
• Can and should IOLTA funds go to technology?
• If we are to fund technology, then how?
• TIG-like grants targeted specifically at technology?
• Tech innovation as a factor in program assessment?
• One-time seed funding?
• How should we evaluate technology proposals?
Questions for foundations

66. Further Reading
“Report of The Summit on the Use of Technology to
Expand Access to Justice,”
http://tig.lsc.gov/resources/grantee-resources/report-
summit-use-technology-expand-access-justice
“Using Technology to Enhance Access to Justice,”
Harvard Journal of Law & Technology, Fall 2012,
http://jolt.law.harvard.edu/articles/pdf/v26/26HarvJLTe
ch241.pdf