2017 aals clinical_final

John MayerExecutive DirectorCALIjmayer@cali.org@johnpmayer

Experiential Learning, Access to Justice & Technology Enabled Law Practice

Happy Day!

501(c)(3) 200+ US law schools

Three Challenges•Access to Justice Gap

•Experiential Learning

•Practice Ready Graduates

Three Challenges TL;DR•Access to Justice Gap – TOO BIG

•Experiential Learning – NOT ENOUGH

•Practice Ready Graduates – THEY AREN’T

Three Challenges•Access to Justice Gap

•Experiential Learning

•Practice Ready Graduates

4

Legal Services Corporation funded agencies complete 1,000,000 cases each year

Still:

50% of those seeking legal help at these agencies are turned away

80% of the poor and working poor in the United States face their legal problems without the help of a

lawyer

LSC’s TIG (since 2000 $4M/year)

Technology Initiative Program

•Statewide websites / 1 per state

•National Server for…–Document Assembly using HotDocs

–Better SRL interface using A2J Author

A2J Author has “just in time” learning features for the end-user including: “Learn More” bubbles, definition pop-ups, audio, graphic and video capabilities.

A2J Guided Interviews on LHI: 2005-2016

3,689,711 runs2,079,410 assemblies

https://www.nycourts.gov/CourtHelp/DIY/index.shtml

https://www.nycourts.gov/CourtHelp/DIY/index.shtml

Three Challenges•Access to Justice Gap

•Experiential Learning ???

•Practice Ready Graduates

Law Students -• Field observation/help desk• Scope document• Research memo• Storyboard• A2J Guided Interview &

HotDocs template

Justice & Technology Practicum2010-2014

Nebraska:Due Process for Special Education

Answer & Counterclaim for Divorce (No Children)

The Justice & Technology PracticumNorth Carolina: Health Care Power of Attorney

Simple Uncontested Divorce (No Children)

Illinois:Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity

Detinue & Replevin

Unpaid Wage Application

Appointment of a Standby Guardian

Pennsylvania:Petition for Expungement and Order

Minnesota:Petition for a Name Change

A2J Projects Deliver Powerful Education…

Deep dive into law, procedure & heuristics

Exposure to policy/ethical issues raised by legal services delivery and technology

Key competencies for emerging law practice (elawyering, software driven law practice, unbundling, web2.0 & “cloud practice”)

Key competencies for all lawyers (teamwork, project management and empathy)

http://a2jclinic.classcaster.net/

http://a2jclinic.classcaster.net/

•“Overall, this course exposed me to a unique blend of big ideas and technical skills.”

•“Before I took this …I did not fully grasp the importance of technology in shaping the future of the legal profession.”

•“I had never done any sort of programming before and it was fun to learn some of that stuff.”

•“This class was completely different from any other law school class I have taken.”

Student Reactions

•“I enjoyed learning how to use HotDocs and A2J Author, and was able to channel my passion for advocacy and public interest into a practical Guided Interview.”

•“I found the class discussion about ethics interesting because it challenged us to determine where to draw the line between legal advice and information.”

•“…challenged my own beliefs about the role of lawyer and the reality that lawyer are not always necessary for simple processes.”

Student Reactions

•Teaching students software requires support – more AND less than you think.

•Students have Macs (duh)

•Coordinating with busy lawyers is hard.

•Ideal = two projects / two semesters / longer on-ramp

•Training faculty is hard if they aren’t invested

Lessons Learned

Solution?

Simulated A2J Author Projects•Closed universe, 2-4 hour “drop in” project

•Completed exemplar for comparison (i.e. model answer)

•Multiple legal subject area examples

•All the exposure to the problem/process space

•Faculty can pick areas of emphasis – ethics, law, unbundling, practice, tech, etc.

Three Challenges•Access to Justice Gap

•Experiential Learning

•Practice Ready Graduates

It’s not computers replacing lawyers

It’s computers + lawyers

Benefits Calculators

Stand Alone Info Guides

Online Intake

Eligibility Check

Pre Court Checklists

Compliance

Triage

Legal “Health” Checkups

• Rapid response tool (e.g. recent Immigration action)

• Platform for jumpstarting hackathons

• Long term student organization/law clinic projects

.orgwww.

Legal Education Technology

Law Practice

Access to Justice

Law Practice

Increasingly Automated, Systematized, Digital, Mobile and Online

Legal Education Technology

Law Practice

Access to Justice

Legal Education Technology

Law Practice

Access to Justice

Sign up for an account and look around A little “under construction”, so pardon our dust Road Map

.orgwww.

Hosted A2J Guided Interviews for clinics/law schools Packaged simulations for variety of courses Mobile friendly (built in) Document Assembly tool (simple) Training for your classes, support for your students Sample syllabi, readings at a2jclinic.classcaster.net

Links to A2J Course ResourcesHere is the link to the A2J Author web community: http://www.a2jauthor.org

Here is the link to CALI's A2J Clinic Project: http://a2jclinic.classcaster.net/

Here is the link to the A2J YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/a2jauthor

Here is the link to the A2J Clinic Project Library:http://a2jcliniclibrary.classcaster.net/

Here is the link to the Chicago-Kent symposium on Justice, Lawyering and Legal Education in the Digital Age: http://www.kentlaw.iit.edu/institutes-centers/center-for-access-to-justice-and-technology/2013-law-review-symposium

John MayerExecutive DirectorCALIjmayer@cali.org@johnpmayer

Experiential Learning, Access to Justice & Technology Enabled Law Practice