Although the Research Request Tool was initially designed for the Legal Aid of Tennessee, it has the potential to revolutionize legal services. A tall order, you say? We think it's a matter of time (and money).

The Future of the Tool

Imagine if every legal aid program were able to share resources -- free law student resources, for example -- and act as one legal aid entity. A legal aid program could glean from the resources of the ivy league university. A small, rural program could use law students in another state entirely to help with necessary research. The Research Request Tool holds the promise of expanding the poverty law community's workforce nationally -- and bringing more universities and students into the bloodstream of legal aid's mission, thereby increasing future hiring pools and fundraising bases.

While the Tool can facilitate this opportunity, it will require a movement.  First, the Tool needs to be slightly expanded so that it can accomodate requests from more than one legal aid program to more than one university. Second, a pilot project using three to five legal aid progams that already have established and successful relationships with their local law school would help provide feedback on what factors -- technological and otherwise --  need to be addressed to develop a strong community-building movement.

LAET has partnered with NTAP on this project. NTAP has developed a business plan for the project and is fundraising for expansion.  Interested programs should contact Becky Levine for more information. (becky@lsntap.org).