Pro Bono Net staff members will be presenting on a variety of equal justice issues at the 2019 Equal Justice Conference (EJC) this week in Kentucky. The Conference takes place May 9th – 11th in Louisville and is hosted by the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service and the National Legal Aid & Defender Association.

Pro Bono Net is a national nonprofit leader in increasing access to justice through innovative uses of technology and collaboration. Our staff is made up of a cross-disciplinary team from legal, technology, and community engagement backgrounds who are committed to creating innovative, sustainable solutions for expanding access to justice. The Equal Justice Conference brings together all sectors of the legal community to discuss equal justice issues as they relate to the delivery of legal services to low income and vulnerable communities. PBN’s teams will present on a wide range of topics, including cutting-edge collaboration models in  justice communities, technology to expand pro bono participation, and designing and delivering better tools to assist self-represented litigants.

Staff attending the conference includes Liz Keith, Program Director; Quisquella Addison, LawHelpNY Program Director; Claudia Johnson, LawHelp Interactive Program Manager; Mike Grunenwald, Program Manager; Jessica Penkoff, Pro Bono & Strategic Initiatives Coordinator;  Tim Baran, LawHelpNY Program Manager; Jessica Stuart, Product Manager; and JPMorgan Chase Pro Bono Fellow Grace Gilligan.

Liz Keith and Mirenda Meghelli, Partnerships Manager, will also be attending and presenting at the National Meeting of State Access to Justice Commission Chairs held in conjunction with EJC.

Pro Bono Net staff are participating in the conference and Commission Chairs workshops below. For more details on each workshop, please visit the EJC website here.

National Meeting of State Access to Justice Commission Chairs

Friday, 3:00- 3:30 PM

Transforming Services for Self-Represented Litigants through Technology and Justice Community Partnerships

This session will highlight a major initiative underway in Washington, DC to increase access to justice through the creation of user-friendly, plain language interactive court forms. This initiative is designed to enhance services for self-represented litigants within and outside of the courthouse, increase court efficiencies, and strengthen court processes. Presenters will discuss how extensive collaboration with local access to justice stakeholders is strengthening the efficacy and awareness of these initiatives. We will share successes and lessons learned so that participants from other jurisdictions interested in implementing or expanding document assembly projects can gain practical information and guidance.

  • Mirenda Meghelli, Pro Bono Net
  • Peter Edelman, Georgetown University Law Center, D.C. Access to Justice Commission Chair


Friday, 3:45 PM

Creating Inclusive Justice Ecosystems in Alaska and Hawaii: Insights from the Legal Navigator

Legal Navigator is a pilot project that brings together technology, content and community to help people with civil legal needs more easily access legal information and referrals specific to their issues and find a path forward. This workshop will highlight developments in this project’s novel collaborations between court, legal aid and social services partners, its innovative technology strategy using artificial intelligence and natural language processing, and initial testing results. Presenters will discuss next steps in Alaska and Hawaii, work to advance this vision on a national level, and opportunities for replication in other states.

  • Sergio Alcubilla, Director of External Relations, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii
  • Liz Keith, Program Director, Pro Bono Net
  • Glenn Rawdon, Senior Program Counsel, Legal Services Corporation
  • Ericka Rickard, Senior Officer – Civil Legal System Modernization, The Pew Charitable Trusts

Equal Justice Conference workshops

Thursday, 1:30 PM

50 New Tech Tips

Members of the legal aid technology community present 50 new technology tips! This fast-paced session will provide tips about free and low-cost tools, apps and software covering a broad range of topics that everyone can use.

  • David Bonebrake, Program Counsel for Technology, Legal Services Corporation
  • Liz Keith, Program Director, Pro Bono Net
  • Glenn Rawdon, Senior Program Counsel, Legal Services Corporation
  • Jane Ribadeneyra, Program Analyst for Technology, Legal Services Corporation

Core Online Tools Your Program and Courts Need to Know to Increase Access to Justice

  • Vanessa Batters-Thompson, Managing Attorney, D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center
  • Marilyn Harp, Executive Director, Kansas Legal Services, Inc.
  • Claudia Johnson, Program Manager, LawHelp Interactive Pro Bono Net
  • Margaret Hamlett Shinn, Community Education & Pro Se Coordinator, Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc.

This workshop will present core online tools that are well understood and how they are being used in variety of contexts to remove barriers to Justice. They will show how well designed websites and online forms, supported with web chat tools in strong partnerships, can create new ways to serve areas of high demand, and deepen existing services and relationships.

Thursday, 3:30 PM

Getting to Meaningful Access to Justice for All: Lessons Learned from New York’s Justice for All Pilot

The Justice for All project provided funding to New York to create strategic action plan to provide effective assistance to 100% of those in need. This workshop will highlight the work of two pilot regions Suffolk and Monroe Counties to implement a strategy, the challenges faced and the lessons learned.

  • Quisquella Addison, LawHelpNY Program Director, Pro Bono Net
  • Helaine Barnett, Chair, New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice
  • Maria Dosso, Director of Communications and Volunteer Services, Nassau Suffolk Law Services Committee
  • Tina Foster, Executive Director, Volunteer Legal Services Project of Monroe County
  • Ken Perri, Executive Director, Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc.

Legal Navigator: Creating Inclusive Justice Ecosystems in Alaska & Hawaii

  • Glenn Rawdon, Senior Program Counsel, Legal Services Corporation
  • Sergio Alcubilla, Director of External Relations, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii
  • Amber Ivey, Manager – Civil Legal System Modernization Team, Pew Charitable Trusts
  • Liz Keith, Program Director, Pro Bono Net

Legal Navigator is a pilot project that brings together technology, content and community to help all people with civil legal needs more easily find a path forward. This workshop will highlight developments in this project’s novel collaborations with social services and community partners, innovative technology strategy, and initial testing results.

Friday, 8:30 AM

Disaster Legal Tech: How Remote Services Technology and Other Online Resources Can Help Disaster Survivors

Disaster survivors face an urgent need for legal assistance. The majority of federal aid applications are denied, and most applicants cannot access a lawyer to appeal. This session will highlight remote services technology and other online resources to mobilize volunteers and scale pro bono assistance after a disaster.

  • Claudia Johnson, LawHelp Interactive Pro Bono Net
  • Jess Penkoff, Pro Bono & Strategic Initiatives Coordinator, Pro Bono Net
  • Laren Spirer, Director of Pro Bono Programs and Lecturer in Law, Columbia Law School

Expanding Our Reach: The Future of Rural Service Delivery

  • Sarah Carver, Attorney, Project Coordinator, Pro Bono Training Academy, Alaska Legal Services Corporation
  • Liz Keith, Program Director, Pro Bono Net
  • Nikole Nelson, Executive Director, Alaska Legal Services Corporation

Partnering for Native Health is a multi-state collaborative project serving members of over 100 tribal nations in some of the most isolated and rural communities in the country. Panelists will discuss their project and their vision for the  future that integrates post-secondary education, health care, legal aid and technology to build a community-based, culturally-appropriate legal extender network that empowers communities and provides access to justice to people living in places as far flung as Tuba City, Navajo Nation to the native Collage of Selwick, Alaska.

Tapping into Tech: Strategies for Integrating Tech Tools into Pro Bono Recruitment and Retention

In this session, we will discuss strategies for effective use of tech tools for recruiting, organizing, managing, and retaining volunteers. Panelists will share how they are using tech to make it easier—and more enjoyable—for lawyers to take on pro bono work and mobilize volunteer lawyers towards pressing needs. Participants will be able to identify specific strategies they can employ in their own programs.

  • Nancy Anderson, Director of Pro Bono, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
  • Mike Grunenwald, Program Manager, Pro Bono Net
  • Jacek Pruski, Managing Director & General Counsel, We the Action
  • Laurie Rashidi-Yazd, Pro Bono Director and Pro Bono Unit Managing Attorney, Atlanta Legal Aid Society

Friday, 1:45 PM

Resilient & Ready: Collaboration Strategies to Strengthen Disaster Response

  • Norah Rogers, Pro Bono Coordinator, Nelson Mullins
  • Katherine Asaro, Staff Attorney, North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center
  • Ariadna Godreau Aubert, Executive Director, Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico
  • Liz Keith, Program Director, Pro Bono Net

This workshop will explore how hard hit disaster regions, especially rural and underserved areas, can benefit from innovative partnerships that mobilize pro bono volunteers and access resources that often go untapped. Learn how recovery efforts in North Carolina and Puerto Rico have joined forces with other programs within and outside of their jurisdictions to build collaborative response networks. They will also spotlight new and forthcoming resources available through DisasterLegalAid to help communities recover, rebuild and become resilient over the long term.

Saturday, 8:30 AM

The Use of Technology and Innovative Collaborations to Improve Victim Access to Legal Services

  • Tim Baran, Program Manager, LawHelpNY
  • Kazi Houston, Legal Director, Rocky Mountain Victim Law Center
  • Remla Parthasarathy, Project Leader, Empire Justice Center

This session highlights innovative collaborations that use technology to improve crime victims’ access to legal information and resources. Panelists from New York and Colorado will share what they have learned developing and implementing victim legal assistance networks that address the various needs faced by individuals in the aftermath of victimization.

About Pro Bono Net

Pro Bono Net is a national non-profit organization dedicated to increasing access to justice. Through innovative technology solutions and expertise in building and mobilizing justice networks, Pro Bono Net transforms the way legal help reaches the underserved. Comprehensive programs including www.probono.netwww.lawhelp.org,  www.lawhelpinteractive.org and the Immigration Advocates Network, enable legal advocates to make a stronger impact, increase volunteer participation, and empower the public with resources and self-help tools to improve their lives.

About the Equal Justice Conference

The Equal Justice Conference, hosted by the American Bar Association and NLADA, brings together all components of the legal community to discuss equal justice issues as they relate to the delivery of legal services to the poor and low-income individuals in need of legal assistance.

The emphasis of this Conference is on strengthening partnerships among the key players in the civil justice system. Through plenary sessions, workshops, networking opportunities and special programming, the Conference provides a wide range of learning and sharing experiences for all attendees.