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

In the middle of April, I glanced at NTEN's post Time to Tap Into Your Inner Poet: ZD Technology Haiku Contest (Win $ for a good cause!), thought "Ah! TIGs! No time for poetry! Focus! Project narratives! Letters of support!" and promptly moved on to the next unread item in my Google Reader.

However, the Public Interest Clearinghouse and the Legal Aid Association of California didn't ignore the announcement and are now up for a $2000 prize. Help them out by voting for Tressa Milford's haiku:

Joint projects? Sticky!
Sharing info can get rough.
Solution? Wiki!

Vote by May 15, 2009 at ZeroDivide.org. - K

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Carol Ebbinghouse reviews the online lawyer directory landscape in her recent article, The Latest in Lawyer Directories--You Won't Believe the Information You Can Get Now!", including our own community's portal for state-based legal information and referrals, LawHelp.org. Ebbinghouse concludes her article by suggesting that "consumers are getting more and better information to determine the best attorney for them based on financial, philosophical, and public-spirited karma, as well as geographical proximity and competence in the particular legal field." Let's hope that public-spirited karma in the profession continues to be valued, particularly as we face difficult economic times.  -M

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The New York LawHelp Consortium has been chosen as a semifinalist for The Collaboration Prize, a new $250,000 award that recognizes and encourages collaboration among nonprofit organizations. Made up of 11 legal aid, bar and pro bono organizations, the New York LawHelp Consortium was nominated for the prize by the Hon. Juanita Bing Newton, Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives for the New York State Unified Court System. It is among 30 semifinalists chosen from 644 nominations. The press release is available here. Congrats LawHelp/NY! -M

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Bexar County self-represented litigants will now have one less place to turn when looking for legal information to help them represent themselves. On Tuesday, July 22, 2008, the County Commissioners voted to close the county self-help center, bowing to pressure from opponents that included many private attorneys and judges. The whole story is available from the San Antonio Express-News, which has a second article here,  as well as op-eds for and against the center.

And a note for self-represented litigants from Texas who end up reading this article while searching the Internet for legal information, check out TexasLawHelp.org, which provides legal information and referrals. - K

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A couple of updates on previous posts -

• Update from Women Who Tech Can Now Tech Together (March 6, 2008) - Podcasts from the Women Who Tech Telesummit are online. You can also join the Women Who Tech groups on LinkedIn, Flickr, Twitter, and Facebook.
• Update from Another Reason to Become an NTEN Member (March 24, 2008) - I found another reason to become an NTEN member. This summer they are holding office hours. You can show up and get advice about IT, communications, fundraising, program development, and leadership.
• Update from LawHelp.org Earns 2008 Webby Nomination (April 9, 2008) - Unfortunately, LawHelp.org was not a repeat Webby. Congratulations to Out-Law.com (judges' choice) and the ABAJournal (People's Voice).
• Update from 2008 Equal Justice Conference Tech Sessions (April 30, 2008) - Conference materials from the technology session are available on LSNTAP.org. - K

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Finding good pro se immigration resources on the web in languages other than English and Spanish is no easy task. Helping to address this need, the Vera Institute recently posted new translations of their Legal Orientation Program materials, which include information on asylum/withholding of removal, immigration fraud, bonds, voluntary departure, and T and U visas. There are also MP3 audio presentations of their Legal Rights Presentation in Arabic, French, Chinese and Vietnamese. Other online sources of pro se immigration materials (with Spanish translations) include the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project and the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network websites. Many of the statewide legal aid websites also have pro se materials on immigration. One noteworthy example is LawHelp.org/NY. -M

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Good news! LawHelp.org earned a Webby nomination again this year. Webby awards are bestowed upon the best of the Net as determined by both the public and a panel of judges. Last year, LawHelp.org won the Webby Award for the Best Law Site in 2007 and came in close behind the winner of the People's Voice award.

An inside source told me that the Pro Bono Net team is pretty excited to be up for a Webby a second time. And they need your help. Help them capture the People's Voice award this year at the People's Voice website. In the famous words from Chicago: "Vote early - and often." And vote here. - K

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The NTEN blog and e-newsletter feature an article by Lisa Stansky: Technology's Role In Rebuilding New Orleans. Lisa is the Web Site Content Coordinator for LawHelp.org/LA and is located at the New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation. - K

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