As we enter a new digital age, it is increasingly important for legal and social services organizations to embrace technology and all the opportunities it offers. A lack of accessibility to these resources is not a new issue, but utilizing the advantages of the internet can address this problem in an innovative way. A 2017 report revealed that approximately eighty-six percent of civil legal issues reported by low-income Americans received inadequate or no legal help. While previously one may have had to physically travel to a location to access free clinics, these services can now be accessed from anywhere.
Legal issues that seem inconsequential at the moment may end up snowballing into larger problems down the road. Take for example a driver’s license. Outstanding legal issues may prevent you from restoring or obtaining a driver’s license. This in turn can impact your ability to get to work, find a job, take your child to daycare, or obtain medical care. This is just one example of how extensively a single legal infraction can affect other aspects of your life. As these problems are interconnected, so too should the services being offered to address them.
Technological Innovation in Legal Aid
LIFT Dane
A great example of this is in Dane County, Wisconsin, where a nonprofit organization called LIFT Dane was formed as a collaborative venture by several nonprofit organizations located in the area. They offer free legal help, in addition to hosting virtual clinics where volunteer attorneys assist clients in their effort to resolve civil legal issues.
Their mission statement says,
“The mission of LIFT Dane is to provide efficient, technology-driven legal assistance to clear civil legal barriers to economic prosperity in Dane County families, to transform legal and court systems to prevent economic drags, and to contribute to national reform movements to improve access to civil legal justice.”
The resources they offer are free and the website itself is easy to navigate. The ease with which a potential client is able to navigate through the website is incredibly important. If users aren’t able to quickly locate the information they need, it may dissuade them from using it in the future. Thus, it isn’t enough just to have a website or application; it’s important that services are user-friendly and easy to comprehend.
A unique feature of LIFT Dane is their new Legal Tune Up Application that can be accessed through a smartphone or a computer. It uses public data to help people in determining if they face any problems that have a legal solution and how to solve them efficiently. For instance, this may come in the form of identifying and removing old eviction records and eligible criminal records from Wisconsin’s online public records database known as Consolidated Court Automation Programs (CCAP). Certain criminal records of a misdemeanor, felony, and small claims cases displayed on CCAP can be removed after two years from disposition. In addition, evictions are supposed to be removed from the state records after two years under certain conditions. In both circumstances, if an individual’s case qualifies for removal, LIFT Dane may assist in removing these records. This holds the potential to directly impact the local community, as a study published in the Harvard Law Review found that individuals who obtain expungement of criminal records see sharp upturns in their wage and employment trajectories, with an average 22 percent increase in earnings within a year.
In addition, the application will:
- Autofill forms for court filings
- Increase economic prosperity for Dane County residents by connecting participants to programs that facilitate better jobs, housing, and healthcare
- Direct people to free, in-person legal aid to help resolve their legal issues
- Assist in the process of drivers license reinstatement
Not only is the app easy to navigate, but it also doesn’t require users to make an account or sign in. All you need to use it is your name and birth date. It is able to sort through public records in order to gather information pertinent to each individual and address their legal needs. In the future, the app will also assist with child support arrears, employment and training, and healthcare debt issues. It is a prime example of an organization utilizing technology in order to provide a user-friendly, one-stop resource for civil legal issues to the public (and free of charge at that!).
HELP4TN
Another organization that does similar work is HELP4TN, a platform that offers Tennesseans assistance with civil legal and social services resources in a one-stop venue. By combining legal and social services resources in one location, clients are able to address these often connected needs more comprehensively. Due to large discrepancies in the law depending on what state you live in, these state-based nonprofits can make all the difference.
The internet portal through which users are able to access a range of legal and social services resources includes:
- Links to legal information in booklets, handouts, and videos
- Explanations on how to fill out legal forms
- A blog to learn about your legal rights
- Links to find assistance in Tennessee
HELP4TN’s services offer information and advice about where to find help and further aid with legal problems. Having such an extensive number of resources on various legal issues while remaining focused on Tennessee residents is incredibly valuable. In addition, HELP4TN has a civil legal help-line that users can call for assistance.
Future Implications
One of the stark differences between the two organizations is their target population. HELP4TN is available as a statewide service whereas LIFT Dane is currently focused locally with intentions of future expansion. There are clear advantages to offering a site with statewide assistance, especially making it relevant to a larger group of people. However, the advantages afforded by utilizing locally-based organizations can be continued when expanded statewide as well. It is only through maintaining relationships with locally-based community outreach groups that the assistance can reach those in greatest need. Combining technology with community-based helpers has the potential to streamline and expand legal aid.
Unfortunately, expanding services and tools, with goals similar to these groups, to a federal level would not work as well. This is because laws surrounding divorce, welfare, property, personal injury, family matters, and criminal matters (to name a few) vary state-by-state. Thus, the most efficient way for these services to be presented would be on a state level such as what is seen with HELP4TN. As organizations continue to encourage and embrace technological innovation, tools such as LIFT Dane’s Legal Tune Up application will undoubtedly be used as models. They hold the potential to transform the legal and court system and increase the availability of legal assistance by identifying and addressing unjust policies as well as systemic barriers.
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