Websites: Innovations in Meeting Client and Pro Bono Needs March 22, 2007 Equal Justice Conference...
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Transcript of Websites: Innovations in Meeting Client and Pro Bono Needs March 22, 2007 Equal Justice Conference...
Websites: Innovations in Meeting Client and Pro Bono Needs
March 22, 2007
Equal Justice Conference
Denver, Colorado
Presenters: Liz Keith, Circuit Rider Pro Bono Net
Becky Levine, Program Manager Legal Services Natl. Technology Assistance Project (NTAP)
Alison Sclater, New York Program Coordinator, Pro Bono Net
Marlene Halpern, Supervising Attorney for Pro Bono, The Legal Aid Society (New York City)
Introduction to Statewide Websites
Project history LSC Technology Initiative Grant program (TIG) established to
encourage use of tech to strengthen delivery systems of state justice communities
Statewide websites were one funding category Envisioned as the backbone of state justice communities’
technological capacities and essential to expanding access to and quality of legal services.
TIG has funded development of two templates – LawHelp (PBN) and OST (Kaivo)
TIG has also supported adaptation and implementation by states
Statewide website goals One tech platform supports all programs in each state Statewide collaboration by all major access-to-justice
players in each state Create pathway that millions of low-income people can
use to find help with legal problems Support networks of legal aid advocates Expand use of private attorneys – full representation Aggregate and share content statewide Platform for rolling out future innovations
Client sites Credible,
reliable information
Free – no membership or subscription
Designed for easy use and navigation
Easy to read Part of national
network
What do we mean by a statewide website?
Other examples
Other examples
Advocate sites
Support for attorneys through knowledge-sharing and networking
Other examples
Where are we today?
LSC TIG funding has supported 53 states and territories in developing statewide websites from Maine to Micronesia, from Florida to Alaska.
52 live sites for the public 6 live public sites in non- English languages 28 live sites for advocates 17 live sites with content for pro bono attorneys
Views – and uses -- of technology by clients, staff and pro bono are changing
Trends in technology use Who is online?
Internet penetration has reached 73% for all American adults (Pew Internet and American Life Project, April 2006)
36% of households with incomes less than $25,000 have access to the Internet (Pew Internet and American Life Project, May 2005)
40% of adults with less than a high school education use the Internet (Pew Internet and American Life Project, April 2006)
Low income people tend to use Internet for self-betterment (jobs, school) and expanding networks and information (The Children’s Partnership, Online Content for Low Income and Underserved Americans)
States with highest Internet penetration?
Trends in technology use
Implications for pro bono programs:
84% of Internet users belong to an online community
Nearly 50 million people joined a group after becoming aware of it through browsing online (including groups that predate the Internet)
Trends in technology use for pro bono
I would use an internet-based system to search for work (52%)
I would use an internet training and online resource systems (46%)
I would register for an internet-based system that matched me with clients (42%)
-- The Future of Pro Bono in New York, New York State Unified Courts, January 2004
Key Growth State in SWEB USage
In 2006: LawHelp public sites received over 2.7 million
visits, a 32% increase over 2005 Pro Bono Net advocate sites received 1.6 million
visits, a 216% increase over 2005 Advocate sites support more than 30,000 legal
aid staff and pro bono attorneys around the country
New Developments in Statewide Websites The last 2-3 years there has been an evolution
of online content. Web 2.0 and increased ability for people to add their
own content Multimedia Interactivity
Developments on Statewide websites Multimedia
Webcasting Video Flash animation Audio
Interactive guides and form completion Online intake systems RSS News Feeds
Webcasting
What is webcasting?
Webcasting allows statewide website administrators to capture and stream live or archived audiovisual content over the internet.
Using a Flash-based tool created by Illinois Legal Aid Online, a user can webcast content using only a webcam and a laptop with a broadband internet connection.
Potential uses of this tool include producing online trainings for legal services advocates and pro bono attorneys, as well as developing pro se content for clients.
Webcasting Uses Webcast live attorney trainings for people in
other locations. Archive trainings for later review. Many programs offer CLE credits
Webcast public education trainings for posting on the public website. Be sure to review whether the live training works as a
video for later viewing (how long is it, can you hear the speaker, is the speaker within view, etc.)
More Webcasting examples Illinois:http://www.illinoislegalaid.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.dsp_content&contentID=496
Georgia and New York advocate websites have also launched webcasting.
Video…
More video examples: Illinois going to court video – Produced video
(script, “actors”, video shoots (permissions, edited with video editing and sound software.)
www.glsp.org – Watch and learn web videos
Animation Explain complex issues Dynamic Attracts attention
Flash most common on websites. Allows a cheaper and easier to format option (rather than video).
Animation Example www.washingtonlawhelp.org – “How to Use this
Site” – Flash Animation
Interactive Animation Allows a person to respond and interact.
A2JWhat is A2J?
Developed by the Center for Access to Justice and Technology, Chicago-Kent College of Law
Software to develop custom user-friendly interfaces for document assembly
Leads users through an interview with visual and audio cues
Compatible with Hotdocs and coming soon – case management software
RSS News Feeds RSS – Really simple syndication
News feeds that can be brought into your website that include a headline but link to original source for the the content of the news item.
How does it work RSS News feeds generated by organizations are
posted in the RSS news aggregator on lstech: http://rss.lstech.org/
These news feeds can appear on your statewide website. The story headline appears and then links off to the site that generated the news story.
What national content feeds are available? News feeds
15 substantive law specific feeds from CLASP NLADA – Equal Justice News Brennan Center News LSC announcements, updates and Equal Justice
Magazine Lstech News
Want to learn more? Visit: www.lsntap.org/techlibrary - More information is available
under: Statewide Websites RSS XML and Tech Standards Wikis and Internet Tools
Visit the Pro Bono Net SWEB Library (requires membership) -
http://www.probono.net/statewebsites/index.cfm
Watch and Learn: Nuts and Bolts of Multimedia Content – Online
Training from February 2007 - http://lsntap.mayfirst.org/sweb114
Building a collaborative website The New York Pro Bono Center Experience
NYC Pro Bono Center www.probono.net/nycprobono Online pro bono resource center developed by
the City Bar Justice Center, The Legal Aid Society and Pro Bono Net
Goal: To increase pro bono participation in NYC
How: Provide pro bono information and resources in organized, easy-to-access format
Site Features: Calendar
Calendar of trainings and other events
Site Features: News
News about pro bono and activities in NYC Volunteer recognition
articles Monthly e-newsletter sent
to all site members
Site Features: Library
Library of training and other background or sample materials, including webcasts
Site Features: Cases
Listing of cases in need of pro bono counsel
Site Features: Listservs
Email listservs for information-sharing and mentoring
Value of site for pro bono programs in NYC Recruitment of new attorneys (and those new to pro
bono) Efficient means to distribute training materials and post
cases Centralized roster of attorneys interested in pro bono Enhanced communication
Mailings to site members Listserv for pro bono staff at public interest organizations to
post questions and share information
Publicity tool for pro bono victories and accomplishment
How we built it Incorporated existing News and Calendar pages from
probono.net/NY Building the library
Recruited law firm to convert hard copy materials to electronic format
Uploaded initial slate of library materials as entire collection, rather than one by one
Recruiting members Created auto-memberships for current volunteers with the City
Bar and Legal Aid Promoted through donated online ads Demonstrations for law firms
…and the challenges along the way
Creating internal structure at host organizations programs to take on new responsibility
Working collaboratively Recruiting a law firm to assist with the library Varied structure and format of training materials
Successes since October launch Membership has grown from 1,100 at launch to
more than 1,700 Continuing to create memberships for training
participants and law firm associate classes
Additional pro bono programs are participating Posting materials Webcasting trainings
5,000 site visits 300 webcast views
Ongoing challenges
Staffing of maintenance tasks Keeping content fresh through regular updates Working collaboratively with non-host
organizations Placing cases