Pro Bono Net is expanding their digital resources to ensure more equal access to justice for those relying on remote legal support, and Legal Services Alabama (LSA) is one of their newest partners.
The new site, www.AlabamaLegalConnect.org, is part of the Remote Legal Connect expansion.
According to Pro Bono Net, “Geographic, economic and structural barriers to resolving or preventing legal issues is acute for low-income Americans.” These barriers are especially apparent in Alabama.
“We are pleased to welcome our newest partner, Legal Services Alabama and its Alabama Legal Connect initiative, to the Remote Legal Connect platform,” says Pro Bono Net.
Pro Bono Net’s Remote Legal Connect platform allows legal services providers, pro bono initiatives, courts, and community partners to rapidly build and manage a legal support program regardless of location.
LSA created Alabama Legal Connect to provide legal pro bono to people and communities marginalized by poverty. The use of the platform transforms how and when legal assistance reaches those who need it most.
This tool allows individuals to consult and meet online with a volunteer attorney to obtain legal advice, hearing preparation guidance, and assistance with completing forms. Volunteer attorneys provide services remotely at times that work with their schedule and availability, and clients will be able to participate from their homes.
“Remote Legal Connect is a new service offering we launched last year to help programs rapidly build and manage remote pro bono programs,” says Pro Bono Net. “The platform is now being used in five states to bring barriers that can prevent people from getting help and scale remote advocacy programs. We recently developed an API for Remote Legal Connect to support integrations with Legal Server and other CMS’s to more easily create client and advocate accounts in the system and other use cases.”
The goal of LSA’s private attorney involvement programs is to provide litigants with high-quality pro bono services through direct representation and by supporting and partnering with Alabama’s network of volunteer lawyer programs. By leveraging remote assistance technology and collaboration tools, Alabama Legal Connect connects volunteer attorneys statewide with individuals who need legal support to increase access to justice.
The Remote Legal Connect platform was co-designed with legal aid organizations in New York, Ohio and Georgia, with support from the New York IOLA program and the American Bar Endowment. It is part of a suite of tools developed and maintained by Pro Bono Net, which for more than 20 years has worked with legal aid agencies and industry experts to leverage technology to close the access to justice gap.
You can learn more about how programs are using Remote Legal Connect here.
