In July, Pro Bono Net partnered with LSNTAP to produce a webinar on triage and expert systems in legal aid. Moderated by Liz Keith of Pro Bono Net, the webinar highlighted new tools and approaches that aid advocates with legal screening, triage, and analysis activities, as well as tools to help litigants navigate unfamiliar legal processes. The great line-up of panelists featured work on cutting edge projects in the nonprofit legal sector, information on how expert systems can enhance service delivery and support community partnerships, and tools and techniques that focus on balancing considerations.
The first presenter, Zach Hutchinson, Student and Research Assistant at Georgetown University Law Center, covered three tools developed through the school. The EJC Wage Theft App, OAH Unemployment App, and Military Impact of Discharge Assessment System (MIDAS) are examples of triage tools that can be used by advocates (in clinical or intake settings) and/or as self-help tools.
Donna Dougherty, of JASA Legal Services for the Elderly, and Adam Friedl, of Pro Bono Net, demoed the Debt and Eviction Navigator (DEN), an expert system which enables social workers visiting homebound elderly clients to perform legal screenings, in an effort to direct clients to appropriate resources/referrals. They also discussed possible future steps to utilize in reporting and to incorporate into e-filing.
Lastly, Marc Lauritsen, of Capstone Practice Systems, reviewed the different types of expert systems that are currently available for use in legal aid, and introduced another system that helps people make choices. He explained “choiceboxing” and closed with a case study that used this system in the legal aid world.
Materials from this informative webinar are available on the SWEB Support Site. Be sure to join us for the next LSNTAP/PBN webinar!