Innovations Conference 2018 - Connecting the Legal Ecosystem: Efficiencies Across Technology Platforms and Between Organizations

As LSC's 2017 Justice Gap report makes clear, innovative approaches that connect seekers of legal help to appropriate legal solutions are needed. With limited resources available to legal aid providers, efficiently connecting would-be clients to alternatives—from self-help solutions and information (ILAO), to brief advice (CARPLS), to private attorneys operating affordable firms and offering unbundled services (JEP)—holds great potential to help fill in the Justice Gap. In Chicago, legal services organizations are using technology platforms (LegalServer, SalesForce, Community.Lawyer) for internal efficiency and are developing cross-platform connections and data sharing methods. Technology sharing a common language can make referrals across the legal service delivery ecosystem more efficient and effective, connecting people with problems to appropriate solutions. This session explored what the legal services delivery ecosystem looks like in Chicago and the challenges and opportunities of sharing data across that ecosystem.