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

 The American Bar Association held its annual technology conference, ABA Techshow, last week in Chicago. The agenda was filled with interesting sessions, and fortunately for those of us who couldn't attend, the ABA did a great job of archiving sessions, resources, and tips online.

If you only have a few minutes to browse materials, head straight to the list of websites mentioned in 60 Sites in 60 Minutes, a session presented annually. You should be able to quickly find one or two new sites to try from the list of sites highlighted in 2010 or past sessions.

If you have some additional time, you can also check out coverage from the ABA Journal, the ABA Techshow Blog, videos from the Ignite Law session, and papers and materials from select sessions. - K

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Idealware, a nonprofit that provides impartial software reviews, is hosting a free webinar on fundraising software tomorrow. Laura Quinn, Idealware's Executive Director, will cover

• How different types of software can be useful for fundraising
• What types of tools are harder or easier to get started with
• Ballpark cost figures for different types of software
• A sense of the amount of effort needed to implement and keep up with each type
• A few types of tools that might be worth further exploration for your organization

You can register online for the session, which will be held from 1 pm to 2 pm Eastern on March 31, 2010.

And even if you can't go to the webinar, click over to see the awesome new redesign of the Idealware website. - K

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

The 2010 Equal Justice Conference will take place May 13-15 in Phoenix, Arizona. Below is a list of technology-related sessions at this year’s conference.

Thursday, May 13

9:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

Hotline Adaptations to Meet Community Needs
Courtroom M & N

Should Google Apps Power the Next Generation Legal Aid Office? Analyzing the Cost-Savings, Coolness-Factor, and Controversy
Grand Ballroom H

1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Going Mobile: Strategies for Advocates, Clients and Pro Bono Volunteers
Grand Ballroom H

Technology Organizations Use to Help Pro Se Clients Address Their Legal Needs
Grand Ballroom I

3:45 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

Cell Phones Intersecting with Hotlines, Intake Systems and Legal Services Delivery
Grand Ballroom F

Helping Hard-Hit Consumers and Homeowners Through Collaboration and Technology
Grand Ballroom H

Statewide Delivery of Self Help Services Using Technology Available at Public Libraries
Grand Ballroom E

Friday, May 14

8:45 a.m. - 10:15 p.m.

NTAP's 50 NEW Tech Tips
Grand Ballroom J

Intake in 3D Using Online Tools: Special Glasses not Required
Grand Ballroom G

Mining for the Gems: Case Management Software as a Supervision and Management Tool
Grand Ballroom H

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Current Issues in Ethics and Technology
Courtroom O & P

Social Networking 101: Tweeting for Justice
Grand Ballroom J

3:45 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

Social Networking 201: Bridging the Justice Gap
Grand Ballroom J

Saturday, May 15

8:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Pro Bono 2.0: New Challenges, Next Generation Solutions
Grand Ballroom E

Thinking Outside the Phone: Staffing Models and Technology to Maximize Hotline Resources
Grand Ballroom I

The full list of workshops, including descriptions and presenters, is available here. -M

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

The materials from the 2010 Public Libraries and Access to Justice Conference, which took place on January 11th and 12th in Austin, Texas, are now posted on Webjunction and selfhelpsupport.org (membership required). Our previous post about this conference is available here. -M

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

As part of its Public Service Graduate Education Resource Center, Idealist.org has developed an excellent resource for prospective graduate students contemplating a career in public interest law. Available as a downloadable PDF, it provides a wealth of information on what to look for in a law school, the law school application process, possible career paths, and the challenges facing public interest lawyers after they graduate. -M

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

The Social Science Research Council just published a new study, "Broadband Adoption in Low-Income Communities," by Dharma Dailey, Amelia Bryne, Alison Powell, Joe Karaganis and Jaewon Chung. The study is based on “170 interviews of non-adopters, community access providers, and other intermediaries conducted across the US in late 2009 and early 2010 and identifies a range of factors that make broadband services hard to acquire and even harder to maintain in such communities.” More information and a link to download the study is available here. -M (Thanks, @shrivercenter!)

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks