The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/96072
case studies Civil Court have begun to develop an automated system for tenants involved in eviction proceedings. These projects are complemented with classroom learning that focuses on how technology can assist everything from interviewing and counseling clients to drafting pleadings and planning strategy. Law school technology innovation has resulted in more than just prototypes. A good example is HotDocs. Law schools built that. Innovation: Not Just for Big Law Incorporating innovation into the practice of law is not just for big law firms, and it won't serve exclusively rich clients. There are some important developments focused on helping legal clinics and self-represented people. Also, several apps with immense potential were built by Georgetown students, largely for people who cannot afford lawyers. Ron Staudt leads the Center for Access to Justice and Technology. The Center conducts research, builds software programs, provides courses and supports students, faculty and staff with projects focused on access to justice and technology. A very successful project they've developed is the A2J Author platform (www.a2jauthor.org), which legal aid societies, courts and other organizations can use to automate interaction with courts. This can be in the form of guided interviews or assisted document creation for materials to file with courts. The flexibility of the A2J authoring tools is expanding, and there are plans to make it available on a broader range of computer platforms. Together with Staudt, Marc Lauritsen is pursuing an "Apps for Justice" program to pilot app development at a few law schools across the United States, with hopes of expanding this to many more institutions if the model can be sustained. A core goal underlying this project is to give more people access to justice and the court systems. The Future of Innovation in the Academy Several law schools continue to pursue new ways for law students to develop technology skills and prepare for future law practice. Innovation in the academy is happening, though it isn't happening everywhere just yet. To paraphrase William Gibson, maybe the future of legal education is here, it's just not evenly distributed. Here's hoping more professors, librarians and technology enthusiasts continue to develop ways to train lawyers for the future. SILVER WINNER Our Award-Winning Magazine Receives New Honors! Produced by FOLIO Magazine, the annual Eddie and Ozzie Awards program is the largest awards event of its kind, honoring the best in editorial and design from the full spectrum of magazine publishing. ILTA took home two awards in 2012: Our June 2012 Peer to Peer magazine, with a specific focus on Law2020, won a silver Eddie in the Association/Non-Profit category for best full issue of a magazine. This achievement recognizes the extraordinary editorial content. Our magazine also took home a bronze Ozzie for achievements in excellent graphic design. Competing against large publishing houses and very prestigious magazines, our peer-powered publications are shining stars in the magazine publishing universe! 30 Peer to Peer Roger V. Skalbeck works at Georgetown Law Center as the Associate Law Librarian for Electronic Services in the library. Roger is also an adjunct faculty member, co-teaching a seminar entitled "Technology, Innovation and Law Practice." He can be contacted at rvs5@law. georgetown.edu.