I keep pushing that we move faster in mobile technology — the data is that poor populations often find smartphone access cheaper than traditional web access.

So it is great news that Montana legal aid and Pro Bono Net, in partnership with Washington’s Northwest Justice Project and Colorado Legal Services, will be using an LSC TIG grant to build the platform and develop mobile content.

I would urge people who are starting to develop mobile content not to see it as a conversion process.  One of the mistakes we made when the website network was launched was that too much of the content was converted from prior community legal education content — over even just upload without conversion.  Mobile content will need to be structured and organized very differently from traditional web content.

What is learned will surely be helpful for courts, bar, and public libraries too.

For more information on this project, contact Christine Mandiloff, cmandilo@mtlsa.org.