ABA Journal and Suffolk University Law School last week presented the inaugural Hackcess to Justice 2014, a legal hackathon for those interested in improving access to justice through technology. The main purpose of the event was to draw attention to the creation of technology that would expand access to justice for individuals who might not otherwise know whether they needed help and how they could obtain legal representation.
The event was held at Suffolk University School of Law in Boston, in conjunction with the American Bar Association Annual Meeting. The two-day judged event was open to lawyers, law students, developers, others and any other interested parties with the goal of devising a technology-enabled solution to one of the five designated areas. Last year, the Legal Services Corporation issued “Report of The Summit on the Use of Technology to Expand Access to Justice” which outlined five key ways that technology can expand access to justice, in particular, through computers and mobile devices. Problems identified by the LSC include lack of adequate self-assessment tools for individuals to determine whether they need representation; document automation; and creation of expert systems to assist attorneys and legal services providers.
First place was awarded to William Palin, a Massachusetts attorney, for his iOS app, PaperHealth which assists in the creation of legally binding healthcare proxies and non-binding living wills. The form automation app creates living wills and health care proxies for individuals and emails them to designated hospitals and health care providers. It also features a frequently asked questions section and signature screens for signatories and witnesses.
Second place went to disastr, an app and web application which provides plain language legal information, resources, real-time news and alerts and legal representation forms for people affected by natural disasters.
Third prize went to Due Processor, an interactive tool that allows users to determine their eligibility for indigent legal services in Massachusetts, and for criminal defendants to calculate their state prison sentences.
Click here to read the ABA Journal article on Hackcess to Justice 2014.
Click here to read the report from Legal Services Corporation.