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

The Atlanta Legal Aid Society and the National Consumer Law Center are offering a webinar on debt collection and arbitration resources for pro se and pro bono cases on Friday, February 11, 2011 at 12 pm Eastern. The resources presented during this webinar will include “brochures and videos designed for consumers and pleadings and case development materials designed for attorneys, particularly pro bono attorneys who may not have experience in debt collection or arbitration cases.” Developed under a Technology Initiative Grant from the Legal Services Corporation, the presenters for this webinar include Kristin Verrill of the Atlanta Legal Aid Society and Arielle Cohen of the National Consumer Law Center. Registration for this free webinar is available here. -M

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The ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service and its project, the Center for Pro Bono, recently launched the Pro Bono Exchange, a new blog covering pro bono legal services delivery.

Our intent is for this blog to be a venue where people interested in the expansion of the pro bono legal services delivery system can discuss of and reflect on how that might be accomplished. Together we can exchange ideas about exciting new models, what’s happening in various practice settings, approaches for changing the culture of pro bono, the role of leadership and much more.

More on the work of the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service is available here. The website for the ABA Center for Pro Bono, which inlcudes a wealth of information and resources to support, facilitate, and expand the delivery of pro bono legal assistance, is available here. -M

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The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) just released a new report on using translation and interpretation technology to serve Limited English Proficient (EP) individuals. The report breaks down both interpreter-based technologies and automated technologies, addresses advances in translation technology, and includes a section on using technology for in-house translation/interpretation management. – M

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Kudos to Glenn Rawdon, Jane Ribadeneyra, David Bonebrake, and the other Legal Services Corporation staff who made last week's Technology Initiative Conference in Albuquerque happen.  The agenda was packed with terrific sessions, including a keynote by Steven B. Levy, author of Legal Project Management: Control Costs, Meet Schedules, Manage Risks, and Maintain Sanity; discussions about cloud computing; and two opportunities to "Ask the Experts."

A few things I took away from the conference:

• Stop playing the "Bring me a rock" game. If you want something from another staff member or volunteer, give them details and don't expect them to read your mind. (From Steven B. Levy's keynote "What's Standing Between Attorneys and Their Clients? It's About Time.")
• Programs must regularly train staff and volunteers on information security. Opportunities to train staff and volunteers are everywhere: initial orientation, monthly or yearly staff meetings, when problems happen, and so on. Also, you should give staff and volunteers written instructions to follow when they need to secure their cell phones, Wi-Fi networks, or home computers, if they are using them for work. (From the "Ask the Experts" session with Donald Carder and William Guyton.)
• People are curious about mobile applications, but few programs have invested resources in mobile applications. One exception is FrontlineSMS:Legal, which uses text messaging to deliver legal information.

I've posted materials from the two sessions that I participated in. Materials from the first session, "Conversing Online: Using Social Media to Engage with Your Community," which I presented with Joyce Raby, include the slides, a website disclaimer, a listening checklist, and a planning checklist. In my "5 Easy Things Law Firm Staff & Volunteers Can Do to Improve Information Security" Ignite slides, you'll find the resources I pointed out. A huge thank you to William Guyton, Donald Carder, and Ken Montenegro for inspiring this presentation

If you are looking for additional information and reflection on the TIG Conference, check out Joyce Raby's Notes from TIG Conference 2011 in ABQ and Richard Zorza's Celebrating the Access to Justice Technology Community — Thoughts for Next year TIG Grants and Direction. - K

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Mike Monahan asked me what the public interest "Tweet of 2010" was, but I have no idea. The community has posted too many for me to remember the one that should be the Tweet of 2010. That said, a tweet this week from the Legal Counsel for the Elderly seemed to wrap up the year nicely.

Mike didn't ask for a blog or blog post of 2010, but I did look back and put together a short list of what I consider the year's best.

•  PSLawNet's Public Interest News Bulletins - At the top of my list is PSLawNet's weekly summary of the community's top news stories.
• Jessica Stuart's The Beauty of Connection - Written for the National Pro Bono Celebration, Jessica expresses her appreciation for the work of pro bono and public interest lawyers and makes it easy to understand why she does the work she does.
• AVLF's Pro Bono Briefs' The Face of Unexpected Homelessness - The Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation blog posted the heart-wrenching story of a staff member's childhood experience being homeless.
• State Bar of Texas' Pro Bono Profiles - During the National Pro Bono Celebration, the State Bar of Texas posted nine profiles of pro bono attorneys: Robert Black, Quanah Parker, Lyla Malolepszy, Nancy Hui, Michelle Reed, Michael Stukenberg, Prof. Larry Spain, Starlett Carter, and Naomi J. Bang.
• Mike Monahan's Lawscape - Mike's posts are great reads because he isn't afraid to talk about the not-so-public side of pro bono program coordination, like in Just waiting for bread and Ennui.
• LASDC's Making Justice Real and TRLA's Press Room - Blogging regularly takes a lot of time and effort. Both the Legal Aid Society of DC and Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid produce a lot of thoughtful content and show how legal aid programs change their clients' lives.

So what did I miss? Looking back, what blogs or blog posts do you think should make this list? - K

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