Libraries and Access to Justice Webinar Series
About the Series
With a surge in the number of people seeking assistance for issues with a legal dimension, partnerships between access to justice organizations and the libraries in their communities are more important than ever. With funding from a Legal Services Corporation Technology Initiative (TIG) grant, Pro Bono Net is producing four national training webinars for librarians, in collaboration with the Legal Aid Society of Louisville, Central Minnesota Legal Services and Legal Services State Support (MN). The goal of the series is to increase awareness among librarians and community stakeholders about online access to justice resources that are available to them, how librarians can access and utilize those resources to better educate and assist their patrons with legal needs, and models for legal aid-library collaborations to connect people with legal information.
Each webinar will last 75 minutes and be conducted using GoToWebinar software. All webinars will take place at 1pm ET / noon CT / 11am MTN / 10am PT. The webinars are free, and attendees are welcome to join for the entire series or attend individual webinars on topics of interest. The webinars will be recorded and made available online afterward, along with all presentation materials. For more information about the series, contact Liz Keith, LawHelp Program Manager at Pro Bono Net: lkeith@probono.net
Webinar 1: Welcoming Librarians to the Access to Justice Movement
Date: Thursday, September 13, 2012
Time: 10am PDT / 11am MTN / noon CDT / 1pm EDT
Registration link: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/559187126
This webinar will provide an overview of legal information needs among low-income and vulnerable Americans, the nonprofit legal aid, court and community groups that serve them, and why public and public law libraries are essential partners in meeting these information needs. This webinar will also discuss the type of assistance non-attorney, public librarians are able to provide to patrons seeking legal help, and the complementary role of public and public law libraries.
Webinar 2: Connecting Library Patrons with Legal Information: Key Resources
Date: Thursday, September 27, 2012
Time: 10am PDT / 11am MTN / noon CDT / 1pm EDT
Registration link: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/630715158
With so much misinformation online, helping patrons find up to date, credible sources of legal self-help information and forms can be challenging. This webinar will provide an overview of online legal information and self-help tools developed by the nonprofit legal aid community, including a national network of statewide legal information portals, many of which have content available in languages other than English. Presenters will also highlight resources available through many courts, law libraries and key federal resources, including online consumer protection resources.
Webinar 3: Helping Patrons Find Legal Assistance in their Community: Online Referral Tools
Date: Thursday, October 11, 2012
Time: 10am PDT / 11am MTN / noon CDT / 1pm EDT
Registration: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/622304094
This webinar will highlight online resources for people looking for a lawyer, including where to find referral information for nonprofit legal aid programs, lawyer referral services and state bar programs. Panelists will also discuss a national website with legal help for military members and veterans, and a national directory for individuals seeking assistance with immigration issues. In addition, we'll share tips for how to assess whether an online referral resource is reputable, and common scams to watch out for.
Webinar 4: Developing Legal Aid-Library Collaborations: Models and Replication Resources
Date: Thursday, November 1, 2012
Time: 10am PDT / 11am MTN / noon CDT / 1pm EDT
Registration: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/236132246
Our final webinar in the series will highlight innovative, technology-enabled collaborations between legal aid programs and public and public law libraries in their communities to connect people with legal information. Panelists from legal aid programs and libraries in several states will discuss why and how they forged these partnerships and how they work. We will also provide nuts and bolts resources to replicate these and similar partnerships in other communities, and potential funding opportunities to seed them. We will also discuss opportunities for library involvement in project advisory groups and state commissions.
For More Information:
Contact Liz Keith, LawHelp Program Manager at Pro Bono Net: lkeith@probono.net