In 2016, during Geography Awareness Week, Ex Libris Juris featured a brief discussion of GIS mapping technology and its applications for understanding Access to Justice (A2J). In the years since, opportunities for GIS data analysis in the A2J community have only grown. Today, November 20, is GIS Day, the perfect time to highlight additional uses of GIS software for analysis of datasets relevant to law. An assortment of GIS applications for legal contexts are mentioned in the list below, alongside two additional short compilations—a sampling of StoryMaps and a beginner’s collection of mapping tools for your own GIS projects.
Read moreABA Profile of the Legal Profession: A Closer Look at Civil Legal Aid
On November 30, 2023, the American Bar Association released its fifth annual Profile of the Legal Profession. This free report, a 140-page compilation of statistics and trends about lawyers, judges, and law students, includes sections on demographics, wages, law schools, judges, pro bono work, women in the profession, legal technology, lawyer well-being, and lawyer discipline. One additional chapter — a review of civil legal aid in the United States — is the feature we wish to explore in today’s blog post.
Read moreEmpowering Access to Justice through Technology
The Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library in partnership with the Texas Legal Services Center is excited to announce the opening of the Texas Legal Services Center Kiosk at the library. The kiosk, a cornerstone of the Virtual Court Access Project, represents a significant leap toward a more accessible and equitable justice system.
Read moreNational Pro Bono Week, October 25-31
The 2020 celebration of National Pro Bono Week takes place October 25-31. Legal organizations across the country have organized events to raise awareness of the need for pro bono services and to celebrate the initiatives of those engaged in pro bono legal work. For a list of National Pro Bono Week events, please visit the sites below.
Pro Bono Week — ProBonoTexas.org
Celebrate Pro Bono — Probono.net
Celebrate Pro Bono — American Bar Association
Pro Bono Week — Taproot
Houston Bar Association Events
Houston Pro Bono: A Call to Action — Houston Volunteer Lawyers (October 27, 12:00 pm, MCLE: 1.0 hour & Ethics: 0.5) Click here to register.
Join Justice Jane Bland, Mayor Sylvester Turner, Monica Karuturi, Jeff Kaplan, Kelly Rose, Michael Donaldson, Bill Kroger, Mindy Davidson, and Anne Chandler in this call to action to ensure all Houstonians are able to access justice
If you are a licensed Texas attorney and would like to volunteer to provide pro bono services, contact the Houston Volunteer Lawyers or visit HVL online.
NCSC Tiny Chats: Practical Advice for Ensuring A2J During COVID-19
The National Center for State Courts just launched a new series of videos called Tiny Chats, distilled conversations on access to justice topics. These short recordings present information for those working in courts or legal aid organizations or in any other capacity that involves serving people who need accurate, reliable, and up-to-date information about court proceedings during the pandemic. The videos are 10-15 minutes in length, perfect to stream while “walking the dog or taking a break between conference calls.” Tiny Chats are “more digestible than a long webinar and a little bit lighter in tone while staying grounded in practical advice.”
The first presentation is an introduction to what future Tiny Chats will cover and why. NCSC recognizes that the digital divide is real, and that many people during this uncertain time are experiencing financial distress. Given these considerations, they acknowledge that access to justice for these vulnerable populations is even more critical. Providing access to good information is a must. NCSC is tracking what various jurisdictions are doing to spread clear, consistent, timely, and accessible information while courts are not in operation. The information they gather is being used to advise different jurisdictions about the best ways to convey how they are responding to and accommodating the needs of people with legal matters before the courts.
While the first video introduces the series, the second video presents best practices for clearly communicating messages from the courts. The presenters, Danielle Hirsch and Zach Zarnow, recommend the following·
Ensure that messages are clear and simple, that terms, such as “essential court services,” are well-defined, and that the mechanisms of hearing a case are well-explained.
Be consistent in conveying the same message across all platforms, including websites and social media, and do so in a timely manner. Keeping information current instills public confidence in the courts and gives people what they need to know at the point of need.
Provide high-quality FAQs and an effective mechanism for gathering feedback, and make sure that information is accessible to those with limited English proficiency or the need for ADA accommodations.
To sign up to be notified of future Tiny Chats, register here: bit.ly/06457
To see all Tiny Chats in one place visit: bit.ly/NCSCTinyChats
Upcoming topics for future Tiny Chats will include Remote Hearings & Services, Clear Communication, ODR 101, Stakeholder Engagement, ODR Vendor Selection, and more.
In addition to the Tiny Chats, NCSC also offers free 30 minute brainstorming and problem solving sessions (The Doctor Is In) allowing those who work in courts to consult about issues related to a Tiny Chat topic.
To schedule a Doctor Is In session: bit.ly/DRTINYCHAT