Technola : Public Interest Law & Technology Updates & Commentary : Matthew Burnett & Kate Bladow : Tech Advice for the Non-Profit Legal Sector

The D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program recently launched six interactive online court forms for use by pro se tenants and landlords. The forms include an answer in a residential landlord-tenant case, an application to proceed in forma pauperis, a motion to modify a protective order, a motion to vacate default judgment and quash writ, a motion to vacate dismissal, and a notice to quit for nonpayment of rent. Using guided A2J Author interviews and Pro Bono Net’s LawHelp Interactive service, pro se users answer a series of questions that are used to populate an approved court form that can be printed and filed. The project was done with cooperation from the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, support from the D.C. Consortium of Legal Services Providers, and funding from the D.C. Bar Foundation. -M

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As part of their year-end fundraising campaign, Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) has created a video that does a fantastic job of highlighting the potential of technology to help increase access to justice for low and moderate-income individuals. It focuses on LiveHelp, a project funded by the Legal Services Corporation, supported by Pro Bono Net, and originally piloted by Montana Legal Services Association and Iowa Legal Aid, which was recently launched in Illinois to assist those in need of legal help find quality free legal information, forms, and referrals. As the video portrays, in less than a month ILAO and their remote law student volunteers assisted over 1,300 users. It’s an excellent example how the innovative use of technology can help to mobilize volunteers, increase access to services, and ultimately address the unmet legal needs facing so many low and moderate-income Americans. Please consider donating to justice innovators like Illinois Legal Aid Online and Pro Bono Net this holiday season. Without them, projects like LiveHelp wouldn’t exist. -M

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This excellent, frequently updated list offers a wealth of information about Google products, including audience, launch date and cost. It also provides helpful links to discussion boards, help and idea pages, and official Google product blogs and Twitter accounts. According to the list, Google currently support nearly 350 products!  -M [Thanks, Dan]

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A team of experts from the Proskauer Rose LLP's Not-For-Profit/Exempt Organization Practice has started to blog about nonprofit law at Not-For-Profit/Exempt Organizations Blog. In addition to helping legal aid administrators with issues at their own programs, this blog can be passed on to directors at partner programs as a resource to help them with their questions. - K

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The National Center for State Courts, the Self-Represented Litigation Network, and the Legal Services Corporation are hosting a two-day conference on how public libraries can improve access to online legal information. The training takes place on January 11th and 12th in Austin, TX. Participants will learn how to access legal information online and how to develop effective partnerships between libraries and legal services organizations, among other topics. Conference organizers will select between 10 and 15 teams from around the country to participate. More information about the training is available here. -M

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December is going to be a slow month for Technola - both Kate and Matthew have vacations planned - but that doesn't mean that you won't have enough to read. First, if you missed any,  you can catch up on Technola's best posts from November:

• Penn Law Students Create Videos to Help Immigrants Avoid Fraud
• Two Tweets to Make You Think
• Twitter List of Legal Aid & Pro Bono Organizations
• A Conference or Two for Everyone
• Google Scholar Blog Post Round Up

Next, you can review NTEN's Member Appreciation Month blog posts One of my favorites: How To: Create a Listening Dashboard for your Organization by Amy Sample Ward of NetSquared.

And of course, December marks the end of the year and the end of the decade. You'll see plenty of "Best Of" and summary posts this month. To get you started: Newsweek put together The Decade in 7 Minutes.

Happy Reading! - K

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