Winter 2018

IOLTA

IOLTA: From the Chair

Carolyn Witherspoon, Commission on Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts

I recently returned from a memorable trip to Vancouver, British Columbia to attend my first Winter IOLTA Workshops as the Chair of the Commission on IOLTA. The IOLTA Workshops are co-sponsored by the commission and the National Association of IOLTA Programs (NAIP). They are a vital component of our collaboration to provide quality training, resources, and networking opportunities for IOLTA programs. I am pleased to report that the Vancouver workshops exceeded my expectations and, by all accounts, were extremely well-received by attendees.

IOLTA

FloridaProBonoMatters.org: How an IOLTA Program Created a Game-Changing Technology

By Nancy Kinnally and Jessica Brown

The Florida Bar Foundation, which administers the state's IOLTA program, launched its Pro Bono Partnerships Program in the fall of 2015. Its new director, Ericka Garcia, immediately began working on discovery with pro bono organizations, committees, and roundtable groups all over the state. Just as a trial lawyer would do extensive research and depositions before striding into a courtroom, Garcia gathered evidence and interviewed dozens of people before developing her strategy for reinventing and reinvigorating pro bono in Florida, which was essentially her charge.

Pro Bono

Pro Bono: From the Chair

By George T. (Buck) Lewis, Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service

In the fall of last year, the Legal Aid Justice Center (LAJC) in Virginia issued an impressive report entitled, Driven by Dollars. This report is a state-by-state analysis of driver's license suspension laws for failure to pay court debt. The driver's license suspension issue is just one of many relating to fines and fees which prevent people from getting back to being productive members of society after a problem with the law.

Legal Delivery

Tapping into the Latent Legal Market: Guest of the Chair Q&A with Will Hornsby

With Will Hornsby

At the ABA LRIS National Workshop in New Orleans, Will Hornsby, Staff Counsel at the American Bar Association presented on the personal legal needs marketplace and specifically, about the "latent" legal needs market. Research conducted by the American Bar Foundation (ABF) has shown that people with problems that have legal solutions most often think of them outside of the legal arena.

Legal Delivery

The Benefits of Regular LRS Case Tracking: More Than Just Fee Collection

By Annie Melendez

Implementing regular communication and follow up with your LRS panelists about the matters referred to them is an essential cornerstone of a successful LRIS. Following up not only generates income for your service but also helps to maintain an organized system for referral records and keeps quality control in place for the public we serve.

Legal Delivery

Star Ratings and Yelp

By Ken Matejka

As we ease into the new year and our Google+ endorsement network chugs along, it's a good time to revisit the continuing issue of reputation management in Yelp.

Legal Delivery

LRIS Participates in Legal Incubator to Increase Affordable Legal Services

By Carole Conn, LRIS Director of Public Service Programs

The number of legal incubators have been increasing in recent years to address the negative consequences of two divergent realities: A widening legal justice gap for those of limited means and a shrinking network of full employment opportunities for newly minted lawyers who need practical training. A legal incubator seeks to fulfill the twin needs of both clients and attorneys, who through participation in a legal incubator receive practical training and mentoring on real cases to develop a thriving practice that benefits the community.

Access to Justice

Seeking Nominations for the 2018 Harrison Tweed Award

The ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants and the National Legal Aid and Defender Association are seeking nominations for the 2018 Harrison Tweed Award.