Decade After Dayton

The Faculty Perspective

Ronald W. Staudt June 18, 2004

Technology Optimism Recidivist

1978 Chicago-Kent’s Law Office of the Future Practice systems will change the face of the profession

1984 Center for Law and Computers Mindstorms, pervasive computing, digital law and PCs

everywhere -- electronic casebooks displace print

1992 Law School of the Future – Wire everywhere, browser wars launch the WWW

1994 - 1998 LexisNexis Software productivity suites, web-based Lexis research

1999 - Justice Web Collaboratory Pro-se Study, ITC state wide website , Soft interfaces

Reactions on Reading the Dayton Report in 2004 It was remarkably good!

It was written before Palm Pilots, IM, DSL and the Internet whirlwind. So,no Napster, no Amazon, no EBay!

Only major flaw was the failure to predict the decentralization and wide accessibility of the net.

Dayton Predictions Network access to information will change &

improve the manner of use & manipulation of data

Elec communication will change the way law is taught

Law schools will lead the profession! Students will have notebook computers Faculty will be computer literate Internet & decentralized information will alter

geographic & institutional boundaries Libraries & imaging Tech as edge for tech savvy law schools &

students

Dayton Predictions Email to enhance faculty/student

communication –yes Multimedia widely used in classroom

–maybe Electronic books –qualified no! Clinical innovations –patchy Library imaging prominence –

Marian? Distance Learning revolution??

Why does it feel ½ empty?

Key barrier in law school - core curriculum is text centric! Especially the 1st year.

& Enduring power of personal

contact as part of the teaching/learning process

Successful technical innovations enhance connections between people.Email IM Internet Cell Phones PDA/Pager/Email & Wireless computing

What next? Wireless extends pervasive net

Will power and value of personal contact increase as virtual contact becomes easier and cheaper?

New hardware to read and write on the screen. Will paper textbooks fade away as reading

long text passages on screen becomes equivalent?

New ABA Distance Rules may foster experimentation.

Access to Justice, Technology & Legal Education Massive unmet legal need Technology lowers barriers and reduces

costs Statewide legal aid websites VOIP and Hotline Clinics LexisNexis Hot Docs Initiative “the Clinic Net”

Students are an under-used resource in the justice system!

Can technology improve both the justice system & legal education?

Unprecedented statewide collaboration To increase access to justice for low income

and disadvantaged persons through innovative use of technology to train, support, and educate legal aid providers, pro bono attorneys, and the public.

Partners:Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic Illinois Bar FoundationCARPLS Chicago-Kent College of Law/IIT The Chicago Bar FoundationNational Center on Poverty Law, Inc.Prairie State Legal Services Chicago Volunteer Legal ServicesLawyers Trust Fund of Illinois Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance

FoundationLegal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan ChicagoSouthern Illinois University School of Law-Self Help Center

IllinoisLegalAidSite

IllinoisProBonoSite

IllinoisLawHelpSite

ITCweb.org

Authors &Experts

Managers &Editors

•Courthouse

•Legal Aid •Office

•Social Service Agency

•Law SchoolClinics &Libraries

•PublicLibraries

•Home

Customers Producers Portals

CMS

Access To JusticeWebsite

Customer Data

Document Assembly Server(LEXISNEXIS HotDocs OnLine)

E-Filing at Courthouse

Server

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Illinois Technology Center for Law and the Public Interest

www.IllinoisLawHelp.org