At the 2015 Equal Justice Conference this week, several Pro Bono Net staff members will be presenting at multiple sessions on a variety of equal justice issues. The Conference takes place May 7-9^th in Austin, TX 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. Pro Bono Net's staff is made up of a cross-disciplinary team from legal, technology, and community engagement backgrounds who are committed to finding innovative, sustainable solutions for expanding access to justice.

 

The Equal Justice Conference 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. Pro Bono Net will present on a wide range of topics, including innovative access models that engage non-legal partners and reaching communities through mobile innovations.

 

Staff attending the conference includes Liz Keith, Program Director; Xander Karsten, LawHelp Program Coordinator; Matthew Burnett, Immigration Advocates Network Director; Mirenda Meghelli, LawHelp Interactive Program Coordinator and Jessica Stuart, Pro Bono Manager Product Manager.

 

Pro Bono Net staff are participating in the following pre-conference activities and conference workshops. For more details on each workshop, please visit the EJC website here.

 

Wednesday, 8 AM to 5 PM: New Pro Bono Managers: Nuts & Bolts (Preconference)

• Lunchtime Speaker: Xander Karsten, Pro Bono Net

 

Thursday, 10:00 AM:

Gender and Cultural Competency with Legal Technology: Considerations and Best Practices

• Mirenda Meghelli, LawHelp Interactive Program Coordinator, Pro Bono Net
• Camille Holmes, National Legal Aid & Defender Association
• Talley Wells, Atlanta Legal Aid Society
• Xander Karsten, LawHelp Program Coordinator, Pro Bono Net

 

Thursday, 12:15 PM to 1:15 PM  

LawHelp / probono.net / LawHelp Interactive Affinity Group Boxed Lunch

Room 619 (6^th Floor)

Programs are invited to share project highlights and connect with others around the country working on LawHelp.org, probono.net and LHI online forms projects. Join after picking up your food truck lunch. RSVP to Liz Keith at lkeith@probono.net.

 

Thursday, 1:30 PM:

Innovating Justice: How Design, Data Science, and other Disciplines are Transforming the Legal Services Landscape

• Matthew Burnett, Director, Immigration Advocates Network
• Allegra Nethery, Pro Bono and Philanthropy Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
• Ken Smith, President, The Resource for Great Programs

 

Thursday, 3:30 PM:

Innovative Access Models: Engaging Non-Attorney and Non-Traditional Justice Partners

• Liz Keith, Program Director, Pro Bono Net
• Matthew Burnett, Director, Immigration Advocates Network
• David Udell, National Center for Access to Justice
• Leah Margulies, LawHelp NY

 

WriteClearly and ReadClearly: Equal Justice Through Plain Language

• Mirenda Meghelli, LawHelp Interactive Program Coordinator, Pro Bono Net
• Anna Hineline, Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc
• Abijheet Chavan, Urban Insight

 

Friday, 8:45 AM:

50 Tech Tips

• David Bonebrake, Legal Services Corporation
• Liz Keith, Pro Bono Net
• Glenn Rawdon, Legal Services Corporation
• Jane Ribadeneyra, Legal Services Corporation
• Brian Rowe, Northwest Justice Project

 

Friday, 1:45 PM:

Not Just for Teens: How SMS Messaging Can Be a Tool for Legal Service Delivery

• Xander Karsten, LawHelp Program Coordinator, Pro Bono Net
• Raquel Bonilla, Director of Grants Management and Special Projects, Legal Services of Northern Virginia
• Sue Encherman, Director of Administration, Northwest Justice Project
• Jane Ribadeneyra, Program Analyst for Technology, Legal Services Corporation

 

Evaluation of Online Forms

• Mirenda Meghelli, LawHelp Interactive Program Coordinator, Pro Bono Net
• Angela Tripp, Project Manager, Michigan Legal Help Program
• Aaron Sussman, Staff Attorney, National Center for Access to Justice

 

Friday, 3:30 PM:

2015 Technology Showcase

• Xander Karsten, Pro Bono Net
• Anna Hineline, Technology Coordinator at Legal Assistance of Western New York
• Jeff Hogue, Community Outreach and Operations, LegalServer

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About Pro Bono Net

Pro Bono Net is a national non-profit organization dedicated to increasing access to justice for the disadvantaged. 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.net, www.lawhelp.org and www.lawhelpinteractive.org, 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.