Summer 2017

IOLTA

IOLTA: From the Chair

By Hon. James S. Hill, Commission on Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts

As I reflect on all that the Commission on IOLTA has achieved over the past three years, I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to have served as its Chair. It has been an honor to contribute to our mission-to assist state IOLTA programs in maximizing and effectively utilizing resources for the delivery of legal services to the poor-along with my fellow Commission members.

IOLTA

Leveraging Grantee Data for Program Planning and Research

By Carlos A. Manjarrez

In 2016 a new office was established at the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) with the charge of improving data quality, reliability and access, not only for LSC, but for the Access to Justice community at large. As one of the largest grant makers for legal services in the country, LSC collects a tremendous amount of information about the characteristics of grant recipients and the services they provide.

IOLTA

News and Notes

New IOLTA Program Directors in New Jersey and North Carolina

Legal Delivery

LRIS: From the Chair

By Stephen Steinberg, Standing Committee on Lawyer Referral and Information Services

To the members of the lawyer referral and information service (LRIS) community across the country, I want to say that it is a great honor and a privilege to serve as the Chair of the ABA Standing Committee on LRIS for the coming year.

Legal Delivery

ABA LRIS Standing Committee Launches National Data Survey of Programs

By Stephen Steinberg

This year, one of the top initiatives for the ABA Standing Committee on Lawyer Referral and Information Service ("LRIS") is to launch the first ever LRIS Annual Census. We have received responses from over 120 of the approximately 240 LRIS programs in the U.S. and Canada.

Legal Delivery

Getting the LRIS Client Prepared for Legal Workshops and Consultations

By Barbara Arsedo

Not only can LRIS serve as a trusted source for the pubic to find lawyers, it can also be a valued guide as to how to prepare to talk to a lawyer at a consultation or workshop setting. So many who call the LRIS are challenged by first time legal troubles and are unsure what it means to consult with a lawyer.

Legal Delivery

LRIS Plays Central Role in Coordinating Veteran’s Legal Services

By Carole Conn

Lawyer Referral programs represent an important asset that can fit many purposes to serve the public. They bring trained, knowledgeable intake staff and the expertise to make the right referral. A case study is the Veteran's Legal Resource HUB, or "V-HUB" in San Francisco, a collaboration of five partners with the LRIS at the center of the hub.

Pro Bono

Pro Bono: From the Chair

By George (Buck) T. Lewis, Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service

In June, the Legal Services Corporation issued its report entitled "The Justice Gap: Measuring the Unmet Civil Legal Needs of Low-Income Americans." It is an outstanding piece of work and I would recommend it to everyone. It may be found here.

Pro Bono

Increasing Support for Appellate Litigants: The Hawai'i Appellate Pro Bono Program

By Rebecca A. Copeland and Brandon M. Kimura

The principle of access to justice for all underscores every aspect of the justice system. In Hawai'i, collaboration on a host of initiatives to continually improve access to justice is led by Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald of the Hawai'i Supreme Court, the Judiciary, the Legislature, the Governor and Executive Branch departments, the Hawai'i State Bar Association and the county bar associations, the Hawai'i Access to Justice Commission, legal services provider organizations, and hundreds of volunteer attorneys.

Pro Bono

Marketing Strategies For Pro Bono Opportunities

By David Daniels, Nancy Drane, Susan M. Hoffman, and Kathleen Wach

Interest in pro bono work, already on a steady upswing due to multiple initiatives of the legal profession, has reached a new level of intensity. As lawyers are inundated with national and local news, they are increasingly moved to get involved.

Access to Justice

Harrison Tweed Award

The Essex County Bar Association Advocates, Inc. (ECBAA) was presented with the 2017 Harrison Tweed Award during the ABA Annual Meeting in New York City for the exceptional criminal and delinquency defense representation that its members provide to people living in poverty.