Last Thursday, I was part of a group that briefed the LSC Board on Technology and Innovation at an open briefing prior to its formal meeting later in the week.  Incoming LSC President Jim Sandman was present, as were four members of the staff of the new Access to Justice Initiative of the Department of Justice.  Board Chair John Levi made a point of having those individuals identify themselves, and welcoming them warmly to the briefing.

The full panel was a follows:

• Scott Bravi, Chief Information Officer, Arnold and Porter
• Bonnie Hough, Managing Attorney, California Administrative Office of the Courts
• Mark O’Brien, Executive Director, Pro Bono Net
• Alison Paul, Executive Director, Montana Legal Services Association
• Richard Zorza, Consultant

Here is the outline of the briefing:

I.          Brief Introduction

II.        Overview and Themes

III.       History and Status of Legal Aid Technology Innovation

IV.       Court Perspectives

V.        Private Sector Perspectives

VI.       Some Options for Next Steps in Technology Innovation

VII       Broader Innovation Thoughts

Those of us on the panel were struck by the engagement and enthusiasm of the Board and new President Jim Sandman.

In particular we were struck by comments from individual Board members that seemed strongly responsive to the following themes:

• The power of technology to increase access to justice, both through increasing efficiency and providing new generation direct access tools,
• The importance of using innovations to support self-help so that advocate resources could be focused on those cases in which it was most required,
• The value of collaboration with the courts, the bar and federal agencies in order to enhance such innovations,
• The potential of engaging the technology industry as a partner in these innovations,
• The role that LSC could play as a convener with these groups, including through a possible second Summit on Technology and Access to Justice (LSC organized the first such Summit in 1998, and it is generally regarded as having been the foundation for the creation of the TIG program and for the establishment of initial collaborative relationships with the courts.)
• The critical role of research and the establishment of a scholarly structure to support our understanding of how to provide access to justice.

Almost all of the Board members present not only participated, but made concrete suggestions.  All in all, we were greatly encouraged, not just by the responsiveness to ideas about technology and innovation, but by seeing such an engaged, committed, and focused and responsive Board thinking about developing a strategy and approach.   All very good news indeed for LSC, for access to justice, and for the collaborations that can make it possible.

For a link to the PPT of the presentation, click here.  (Note: this is on www. selfhelpsupport.org, a free membership site.)