Pro Bono News

Legal Aid With a Digital Twist

Wednesday, June 01, 2016

We are excited to share this New York Times article on the use of technology in access to justice featuring our very own LawHelp Interactive Program Manager, Claudia Johnson!

“Sometimes technology is the only thing that can level the playing field" - Claudia Johnson, LawHelp Interactive Program Manager, Pro Bono Net

Excerpt: 

"The rise of online legal forms may not be a gripping subject, but it matters. Tens of millions of Americans need legal help for civil problems — they need a divorce, child support or visitation, protection from abuse or a stay of eviction. They must hold off debt collectors or foreclosure, or get government benefits.

They often have to fight these battles on their own because — despite the fact that civil cases can result in people going to jail, or losing a house, health care or custody of their children — they don’t have the right to a lawyer, as defendants in criminal cases do. Four out of five people who need a civil legal aid lawyer don’t have one.

Walk into a court case between landlords and tenants, or creditors and debtors. The landlord always has a lawyer. The credit card company always has a lawyer. The tenant or debtor practically never does.

This is not just a problem for overmatched individuals. “It creates industries that become more abusive,” said Claudia Johnson, the program manager of LawHelp Interactive, a nationwide initiative to increase access to justice. “They feel ‘we can do whatever we want.’ This is part of the reason we have lost social mobility.”"

Read the full article here