This fast-paced, engaging session will provide tips about free and low-cost technology relevant to the access to justice community. This will include new mobile apps, remote work tools, web platforms, information security resources, and solutions for Windows and macOS. Panelists will also explore how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning can be applied to the access to justice field in fun and accessible ways. Technology leaders will emphasize practical, easy-to-use technology that helps legal professionals do their work more effectively.

• Participants will learn about simple, straightforward technology tips that will help them to do their jobs more effectively.
• Participants will gain a broader understanding of the technology landscape - including emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning -- that can help them contribute to their program's technology planning process.
• Participants will have an opportunity to share their own technology tips and provide feedback about panelists' contributions.

This session is designed to build on the workshops we have done for the past few years on how to explain legal aid as constituent services to legislators and their staff. Now that many LSC grantees and other legal aid programs have begun to develop relationships with their federal and state legislators and staff, we want to identify ways to build on and expand those connections, e.g., provide trainings for district caseworkers; involve legislative staff in community outreach efforts. The panel will include LSC grantee Executive Directors and civil legal aid practitioners with experience meeting with and educating federal and state legislators and their staff. The panel will also address compliance with LSC lobbying restrictions applicable to LSC grantees in communicating with legislators.

• The importance of educating federal & state legislators across the political spectrum, and their staff, about legal services.
• The nuts & bolts of scheduling meetings with legislators & staff, inviting legislators and staff to visit your program, and ensuring the meetings are as productive as possible.
• How to build on your experience reaching out to federal and state legislators and staff to develop ongoing relationships that are mutually beneficial.
• How to remain cognizant of LSC's lobbying restrictions in your communications with legislators.

How are people using AI to address their legal problems, and what is the quality of information they find on popular AI platforms like ChatGPT or Google Bard? Are people going to AI tools for help with housing, family, debt and other problems? And do these tools give them helpful, correct, actionable information -- or are there hallucinations, mistakes, or other harms? This session will present the results of recent research on public use of AI for legal help, as well as an evaluation of AI platforms' main opportunities and risks around access to justice. It will discuss trends among various demographic groups, around whether and how they would use AI for legal help. It will also present next steps that legal services, pro bono, and court groups might take to harness the opportunities of AI while also mitigating its risks.

• Participants will learn how various community members are using AI to seek help, information, and services around legal problems they're experiencing. This can help them understand their client audience better -- and how they might adapt services for people who have tried to DIY legal research, authoring of demand letters, prep for court, and other legal tasks through AI assistance.
• Participants will learn how common hallucinations, mistakes, and other quality problems are on different AI platforms, when people ask for legal help information, services, forms, and other access to justice topics. This will help them have a more accurate view of AI platform's risks and harms. They may use this to issue client and professional guidance on whether and how to use AI -- or how to improve critical thinking and fact-checking of AI.
• Participants will discuss and learn how AI platforms might be improved regarding the legal help domain. This will include exploration of regulation, policy work, collaborations, and other ways that they may improve the quality of legal help information that people receive when they use these AI platforms.

Can AI help bridge the A2J gap? Can non-technical lawyers create safe, accessible, and equitable technology tools? Join this interactive panel on leveraging generative AI and improving existing technology for client intake. We discuss our own legal aid technology, challenges, and lessons, including: unauthorized practice of law, buy-in, and sustainability.

• Upon completion, participants will be able to analyze, evaluate, and apply AI tools in their practice in pro bono and public interest law contexts.
• Participants will be able to build their own AI tools.
• Particpants will be able to compare AI tools to common, historic practices and methods.

This session explores how ageist bias and stereotypes create barriers to legal services for older adults; it discusses how to recognize and attack ageism at both the personal and organizational levels, analyze ethical quandaries (real and perceived) that might arise, and develop and systematize an anti-ageist organizational culture.

• Participants will be able to define ageism and identify ageist stereotypes and negative biases at both the personal and organizational levels.
• Participants will be able to recognize and analyze the ethical obligations and practical quandaries that can arise when representing older adults.
• Participants will be able to utilize and implement highlighted strategies, approaches, and analytical/representational models to eliminate barriers caused by ageism and increase services to older adults.

Through an interdisciplinary lens, a social worker and a lawyer will define capacity and professional standards for best practice, identify client red flags, and provide an ABA-approved tool for working with diminished capacity. Small group case study discussions allow attendees to practice implementing the tool and to learn from peers.

• Participants will be able to define capacity and identify three red flags when working with clients who may need further consideration.
• Participants will be able to identify five best practices or tools for working with clients with diminished capacity.
• Participants will be able to implement the PRACTICAL tool from the ABA when working with clients with diminished capacity.

What does it mean for a pro bono project to be "client-centered"? And how does this intersect with volunteer interest and recruitment? This session will explore the ethical, practical, and DEI considerations on why it matters to center all pro bono efforts on understanding clients and their lived experiences. It will also explore how legal aid organizations and many law firms have embraced a client-centered approach to developing projects and managing the work. Participants will learn how a client-centered approach to pro bono leads to more efficient and effective pro bono work, greater success in sustaining pro bono projects, and a more satisfied and sustainable volunteer pool.

Lessons learned in the partnership of legal aid advocates and the private bar to represent mobile homeowners as parks close while engaging city, state and nonprofits to assist. The session will engage audience and panelists to brainstorm methods to place needs of homeowners first while protecting their legal interests.

A series of questions will be read out loud and the facilitator will ask the participant to select a bead that represents that color. For example, "Select a bead that represents the identity of your primary care physician" or "Select a bead that represents the majority of your social group". Bead colors will be labeled to represent different race/ethnicities: Japanese (blue), American Indian/Alaska Native (Fushcia), White (yellow) etc. 2 bonus beads would be offered to those who have a close friend or neighbor who is LGBTQ+ and those who have a close friend/neighbor who is differently abled. After all beads are selected based on the questions, they are strung onto a bracelet, which will show how diverse that person is.

• Realize, through the crafting of a beaded bracelet, whether they have diversity gaps in their daily lives.
• See a visual representation of diversity challenges in their daily lives.
• Give participants a reason to talk about diversity when asked about the bracelet they are wearing.

This interactive session is about employee engagement, the success that we have had with our employee engagement committee, and ways we have connected our staff in a hybrid work environment. We will share tactics that can be implemented by organizations with differing capacities and engage attendees to share their experiences.

• Develop strategies and tactics to build an internal community that promotes a healthy organizational culture and builds staff morale.
• Create a plan to help promote a sense of wellbeing for staff.
• Encourage staff to best utilize their skills, abilities, and expertise in their respective positions.