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Feed from Technola
Updated: 1 hour 4 min ago
Fri, 07/09/2010 - 1:25pm
The National Center for State Courts publishes a yearly journal called “Future Trends in State Courts.” Among the topics explored in the 2010 issue is the role of social media/networking in the courts, including “The New Media Project of the Conference of Court Public Information Officers,” by Chris Davey ; “The Role of Social-Networking Tools in Judicial Systems,” by Travis Olson and Christine O’Clock; and “The Changing Media and Its Impact on the Courts,” by Hon. Tom Hodson. Also included in the 2010 issue is an article by Richard Zorza, “Public Libraries and Access to Justice,” and an article by Justice O’Connor that highlights www.ourcourts.org, an educational project that incorporates online games and other interactive media to teach young people about the rule of law. -M [Thanks, Claudia!]
Tue, 07/06/2010 - 11:53am
The Ontario Civil Legal Needs Project recently released the report, “Listening to Ontarians,” which examines the barriers that Ontarians face in accessing the civil justice system. A collaboration between the Law Society of Upper Canada, Legal Aid Ontario and Pro Bono Law Ontario, the report does a nice job of identifying and exploring both the promise and challenges of using technology to increase access to justice for low and moderate-income Ontarians (see, in particular, page 58 of the report). The survey also found that “84 per cent of low and middle-income Ontarians are connected to the Internet.” The full report is available for download here (PDF). -M
Update: Only after publishing this post did I come across this great post on the Clicklaw Blog, which covers technology and access to justice issues in this report as well as another recent report, Moving Forward on Legal Aid: Research on Needs and Innovative Approaches.
Mon, 06/21/2010 - 8:29am
Brian Lawlor of Legal Services of Northern California sent Matthew and me an interesting blog post, Tweets Per Capita, about where Twitter is and isn't being used.
Tweets per Capita - WCIT2010 - Sagolla
View more presentations from Dom Sagolla.
Not surprisingly, the countries where people are tweeting most are also typically countries where a majority of the population has access to the Internet.
But, more interestingly, the slides point to several cases where Twitter use increased rapidly after a difficult situation or catastrophic event in countries where most people don't have access to the Internet. For example:
Dom Sagolla, who created the post and slides, says that in these situations, Twitter fostered communities and then provided them with a voice. To me, this seems like what social media and social networks are especially good at. They provide a voice to communities, especially when few other communication avenues are available. - K
Tue, 06/01/2010 - 9:32pm
Lex Mundi recently launched LawForChange.org, an online legal resource for social entrepreneurs, innovators, charities, community organizations, philanthropies, faith-based organizations and other nonprofits. It includes a section with legal resources, including a start-up kit, audit checklist, and substantive materials that are searchable by topic and jurisdiction (state). The site also hosts an interactive discussion forum and a blog. -M
Tue, 06/01/2010 - 4:00am
Security is a frequent topic on the LSTech e-mail list, and although everyone agrees that security is important, the community has differing opinions on the level of risk faced by legal aid organizations. So, when catching up on reading over the weekend, a quote from the article "A San Francisco Technology Charity Gets a Lesson in Online Security" caught my eye:
"Especially in the last two years, the threat has gone up exponentially as hackers have gotten more sophisticated and have a greater understanding of the value of the kinds of data they can steal," says Richard Collins, who is in charge of cyber security at TechSoup. "The other main threat is that hackers are targeting smaller organizations and organizations with fewer resources now because many of the bigger ones have already made their systems more secure."
A simple analogy? Your house gets hit by thieves, not because you have the best stuff, but because you forgot to lock the door and it was easy to get in.
But fixing this problem doesn't have to be expensive. The article above even gives you the first step-train your staff. Three areas to cover:
Use secure passwords.
Not every password needs to be a long string of gibberish that only a savant could remember, but every password should contain a combination of at least 7 letters, numbers, or symbols.
Resources on creating secure passwords:
Watch what you click.
You need to watch what you click every time that you click, and if you click a malicious link and know it, say something to your tech person immediately.
Resources on identifying what not to click:
Connect carefully.
If you take a laptop home, use USB keys to transfer information, or view files over public WiFi networks, you need to be very careful not to lose your data or give someone access to your network inadvertently.
Resources on protecting your data and network:
Are you reviewing basic computer security practices with your staff? If so, what else do you review and how often? If not, what's keeping you from getting started? Tell us in the comments below. - K
Thu, 05/27/2010 - 9:40am
For the past few days, I've been at Gov 2.0 Expo, learning about how governments are using technology to engage with the public and be more transparent. A few tidbits from the Tuesday morning sessions:
Get Your Online Content in Control: Content Strategy for the Public Sector - Meghan Casey
- Audit parts of your website on a rolling basis. (For example, family law in January, February, and March. Then do consumer law in April, May, and June.) Figure out what is there, when it was last updated, and who should be responsible for it.
- Content tasks fall into three categories: maintenance, planned changes, and unexpected changes. Most of your time should be spent on planned changes, then unexpected changes, and the remainder on maintenance. Make certain your strategy reflects this time allocation.
- Fix the low-hanging fruit first. Update links and tweak content. Then re-evaluate and see if you need to entirely revamp the site.
Meghan Casey's company, Brain Traffic, has what looks like a great blog, Brain Traffic Blog, with more useful information on developing and maintaining content strategically.
Creating a Social Media Strategy: The Data Shows Why It's Important - Dan Zarrella
- Ideas don't spread because they are "good."
- You either need to break through the noise or avoid the crowds. To avoid the crowds, look at posting materials on the weekends. (The traffic might be less overall, but your story might get more attention.)
Andy Carvin from NPR did a great job tweeting this session.
- Zarrella: even if only 10% of your audience use social media, they'll still be your most influential users. #g2e (See tweet.)
- Zarrella: in WWII, OSS & MI6 studied how to weaponize rumors. When there's an info void, rumors fill the gap. (See tweet.)
- Zarrella: the higher grade level required to understand title of article, the less it's shared on FB. #g2e (See tweet.)
- Zarrella: asking people to rt actually works. Just don't do it too often. #g2e (See tweet.)
Dan Zarrella also provided interesting lists of the most shareable and the least shareable words on Facebook and the most retweeted and the least retweeted words on Twitter.
Navigating the Maze - Caroline Lawson
I didn't attend this session, but from what I saw on Twitter, I wish that I had.
- Gov 2.0 is not at all about technology, its about reaching citizens where they are - Carolyn Lawson session "Navigating the Maze" #g2e (See tweet.)
- carolyn lawson: sm policy comes down to behaving yourself in public. Same as yesterday #g2e (See tweet.)
- Carolyn Lawson, CA CIO Office: If government is going to use social media, it must be prepared to be more nimble. #g2e #opengov (See tweet.)
I'd argue in that last tweet that "government" could be replaced with "legal aid organization." What do you think? - K
Wed, 05/26/2010 - 1:13pm
Yesterday Kate spoke at the Gov 2.0 Expo in Washington, DC about courts' use of technology to help self-represented litigants. The Gov 2.0 Expo brings together speakers on using the Web as a platform for government and citizen participation. You can watch Kate's terrific presentation below. Not only does she highlight the amazing work being done in our community, she also gives voice to those for whom justice is out of reach because they cannot afford a lawyer. - M
Mon, 05/24/2010 - 8:20am
This week, technology leaders from the private and public sectors are headed to Washington, DC to explore how governments can use technology to become more transparent and better engage the public. This event Gov 2.0 Expo 2010 is one of a series of events hosted by O'Reilly Media and UBM Tech Web to look at the benefits and risks of strategies that local, state, and federal government agencies have used so far and to encourage more agencies to implement initiatives.
Access-to-justice community members may not recognize the Government 2.0 buzz word, but I hope they recognize how their work aligns with this movement.
Government 2.0 means doing more with small teams, and even the power of one. It means exploiting global creativity and changing workplace models and traditional designs for carrying out missions. It means infusing old processes with new technology. It means unlocking stores of data that can better inform and empower people about their communities, and governments about decision making. It means change has come to America. (From About: Gov 2.0 Expo)
Sound a little like what you are doing as you create legal information websites, automate documents, offer LiveHelp, and set up other technology initiatives to help people represent themselves? I think so.
I will be speaking, on behalf of Pro Bono Net, about the parallels during a Gov 2.0 Expo presentation called "Opening the Courts – Using Technology to Empower the Unrepresented." I'll have five minutes and twenty slides to convey my message to attendees in an Ignite-style presentation as part of the Keynote Kickoff.
I hope to introduce people outside of the access-to-justice community to the work that courts, legal aid organizations, and pro bono programs are doing to make the law more accessible to the public. Perhaps, I'll even be able to convince a few of them to try similar projects with their own customers.
If you are interested in learning more about Gov 2.0, I highly recommend viewing Tim O'Reilly's webcast "What is Gov 2.0?" and reading the "Government As a Platform" preview from the book Open Government: Collaboration, Transparency, and Participation in Practice. And of course, you can follow what Expo attendees and others are saying about Gov 2.0 on Twitter. - K
Tue, 05/18/2010 - 8:18am
A heads up for any casual readers of Beth Kanter's blog, Beth's Blog. It has moved to bethkanter.org and got a new look. If you've been reading the blog via RSS, no change is necessary. (And don't worry. The old blog at beth.typepad.org will still be around for a while.)
For those curious about the design details, it was done by Rad Campaign, the group responsible for the LawHelp Interactive redesign. - K
Mon, 05/17/2010 - 10:00pm
Spring is the season of fresh starts, and it seems websites are taking it to heart. Just this week, two sites intended to connect the public with relevant legal information were launched.
The Australian Government launched Access to Justice to help the public find both legal aid and private lawyers. This site is part of a series of initiatives launched by the Attorney-General for Australia to make the Australian justice system more accessible.
The United States Courts also relaunched its site with a spiffy new design. Along with the expected static information about the federal court system, you'll also find podcasts, widgets you can embed in your own site, a link to The Federal Judiciary's Channel on YouTube, and other multimedia. State website coordinators should direct their attention to the bankruptcy area, which includes a Bankruptcy Basics section and a series of bankruptcy videos in English and Spanish. For the full list of enhancements, see the US Court's news release.
Have you noticed any other legal websites that have shed their winter coats? Or do you have some website spring cleaning of your own planned? Tell us about it in the comments. - K
Mon, 05/17/2010 - 8:05am
Friday, the National Association of Pro Bono Professionals (NAPBPro) awarded Mike Monahan, Pro Bono Director at the State Bar of Georgia Pro Bono Project/Georgia Legal Services Program, the 2010 Tanya Neiman Pro Bono Professional of the Year Award.
This award is presented to pro bono professionals who demonstrate a steadfast commitment to pro bono and have achieved outstanding results. It is named after Tanya Neiman, who "pioneered the fields of pro bono, holistic legal services and community lawyering." She was the Director of the Volunteer Legal Services Program at the Bar Association of San Francisco for nearly twenty-five years and " was a giant in her commitment to improving the condition of all people and in her passion for living."
Congratulations, Mike! The award is well deserved. Keep placing those unplaceable cases. - K
Fri, 05/14/2010 - 8:58am
Sonia Nazario, who's spent 20 years examining and reporting on social issues like hunger, drug addiction, and immigration, opened the 2010 Equal Justice Conference. In an emotional speech, she explained the difficulties faced by children immigrating to the United States to join their parents and her experiences on El Tren de la Muerta (the train of death) as she traced their journey. For those who couldn't attend in person, the ABA streamed this session live and have posted a recording online. Also available is a short interview with Ms. Narazio about Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), an organization that represents immigrant children, who otherwise would have to negotiate the US immigration system alone.
A side note: As you listen to the beginning of Ms. Nazario's session, several people will refer to protesters. While it's likely not a surprise that the ABA's decision to continue holding the Equal Justice Conference in Arizona was controversial, you may be surprised to hear that on Thursday local advocates protested the ABA's decision. azfamily.com has a short segment on the protesters as well as a quick shot of their song and dance. Was anyone at the conference able to capture the whole song? I couldn't find a recording on either Vimeo or YouTube. - K
Wed, 04/28/2010 - 8:00am
Since November 2009, ALM has been hosting a series of Virtual LegalTech shows, online versions of their LegalTech Trade Shows. Previous sessions have included
- Amending the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
- Developing a Comprehensive and Legally Sound Social Media Policy
- The Microsoft Boot Camp
- Windows 7 - Tales from the Trenches
After registering, you can listen to these and other archived sessions. You'll also be able to register for the upcoming Virtual LegalTech on May 20, 2010, which includes the panels "Social Media: Security and Privacy" and "E-Discovery Cost Management and Litigation Readiness." - K
Mon, 04/26/2010 - 8:00am
Most of the time, information on the Web is easy to access, but sometimes, you hit barriers that keep you from getting what you want. Whether it's a request for a username and password on a site that you'll never use again or trying to access your email when Gmail is down, Lifehacker again comes to the rescue, giving us the Top 10 Ways to Access Blocked Stuff on the Web. - K
Fri, 04/23/2010 - 8:00am
Watching Twitter, Facebook, and my news feeds over the past couple of months, I've been amazed at how many organizations are announcing new resources for advocates and the public. Some of those resources include
Consumer
Domestic Violence
Education
Estate Planning
Housing
Immigration
General Legal Information
Thank you to @shrivercenter, @ABACtrProBono, @kmontenegro, @CLEONet, @ProBono_GA, Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, and the many others (whom I didn't write down) who pointed out these resources. - K
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 8:00am
TechSoup has made their Editorial Style Guide public. Similar to the AP Stylebook or The Bluebook, this guide helps people produce content with a consistent style and a more professional look. Style guides are a terrific resource. They prevent staff and others from wasting time wondering whether they should be using "internet" or "Internet," or "Web site" or "website." (Checking TechSoup's quick reference guide, they say it's "Internet" and "website." )
Does your organization have a style guide? You should, and it doesn't have to be cumbersome to draft one. Simply create a document that specifies how to treat your organization's global identity and then use TechSoup's guide for everything else. Your writing will look more professional and be easier to read. - K
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 8:00am
I search the Internet a lot. I've been known to use Yahoo or Bing on occasion, but I mainly search with Google. (Unless it's breaking news. Then I always search Twitter first.) Over time, I've learned tricks to improve my results, weed out junk, and save time.
Recently, The New York Times compiled a list of 10 Simple Google Search Tricks, which includes many of my favorites as well as a couple new tricks. The highlights:
- Don't struggle with finding what you want on a site when it doesn't have a built-in search. Use Google's "site:" operator.
- Get rid of unrelated results with the "-" operator. This helps a lot if you want to search "pro bono" but don't want to see anything related to "U2" or "Sonny & Cher."
- Enter an area code, and the first result should be a map of the area it covers.
The one that they didn't mention that I use most often: searching for an exact phrase. You add quotation marks around the phrase. For example: "legal aid" will return pages with the phrase "legal aid" and not just the words "legal" and "aid."
What are your favorite search tips? Do you stick to Yahoo or Bing because of tricks that you've learned? - K
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