REGISTER FOR THE 2017 TIG CONFERENCE

View the 2017 TIG Conference Online Schedule and Session Descriptions

Join us January 11-13, 2017 in San Antonio, TX for the 17th annual Technology Initiative Grants (TIG) Conference. The TIG Conference brings together technologists, legal aid advocates, court personnel, academics and other professionals to exchange ideas and explore innovative ways of using technology to promote full access and high-quality legal representation for low-income people. The conference also provides an opportunity to network with a national community of colleagues and to cultivate project ideas that could lead to successful TIG applications. 

This year's program will also highlight a special initiative focused on improving the quality of legal aid websites. Through support from the Ford Foundation, LSC has worked closely with EY Intuitive, a digital consulting firm with expertise in user-centered design and nonprofit evaluation, to conduct a comprehensive assessment of all of the statewide legal aid websites. At the conference, representatives from EY Intuitive will share the results of this assessment, including practical findings and recommendations that will help steer the community towards creating content-rich sites that provide high-quality user experiences.

Sessions

Over 40 sessions are being offered during the 2017 TIG Conference. Sessions were selected through a request for proposal process, and are organized into tracks of related content:

• Web-Based Delivery
• Data Analysis
• Intake and Triage
• Internal Operations
• Advanced IT/Future Technology
• Self-Represented Litigants
• Tech Tools for Advocates

There will be four types of conference sessions:

• Workshop Session (75 minutes)
• Rapid Fire Talks (6-minute lightning talk at a plenary)
• Affinity Groups (informal 60-minute discussion group)
• Hands-On Labs or Technology Demos (75 minutes)

 Who Should Attend

• Legal aid advocates 
• Website coordinators
• Document assembly developers and project managers
• Private attorneys
• Pro bono coordinators
• Academics
• Judges
• Software vendors
• Anyone with an interest in how to use technology in the delivery of legal services

What Can I Learn

Session topics will cover a range of issues such as how the use of technology can enhance internal legal services operations, improve client services, address access and triage issues, and effectively provide legal information to low-income people, including how to:

• improve the usability of online legal aid resources and tools
• deliver legal services remotely to hard-to-reach populations
• improve limited scope or self-representation for those persons whom legal aid organizations are not able to represent fully
• increase the efficiency and effectiveness of access, triage, and intake
• encourage and support pro bono
• provide legal services staff and pro bono advocates with better litigation and case development support
• improve management and internal operations in legal aid offices

Networking Opportunities

There will be an opportunity to exchange information in more informal Affinity Group sessions, which attendees help to determine at the time of registration. An ignite-style plenary called Rapid Fire Tech provides fast-paced presentations that highlight technology project successes, new ideas, and lessons learned.

Conference Hotel

This year's conference will take place at the Wyndham San Antonio Riverwalk, 111 E. Pecan St., San Antonio, TX. The room rate is $121 per night plus applicable taxes and fees. The conference room rate is available until December 18, 2016, or until the room block sells out. You can make your hotel reservation online at the Wyndham's TIG Conference Reservation website. You may also call 1-866-764-8536 and ask for the Legal Services Corporation room block. 

Conference Registration

2017 TIG Conference Registration is now open. Early registration for the 2017 TIG Conference is $420 through December 9, 2016. Regular registration is $450. Group registrations are $395 per person for organizations sending three or more participants who are paying full registration fees. Conference registration includes breakfast each day and lunch on Wednesday and Thursday.

Pre-Conference Events

Online LawHelp Interactive (LHI) Developer Training: January 9-10, 2017

LawHelp Interactive (LHI) will be offering a two-day training on creating online forms and interviews using HotDocs, A2J Author and the LawHelp Interactive national server. The training is free for legal aid organizations and their eligible partners. Participants will learn how to author interactive interviews for self-represented litigatns, volunteer attorneys or advocates. Faculty includes trainers from Capstone Practice Systems and the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI). For more information and to register, see the LHI Training page.

Legal Aid Drupal Hackathon

The Legal Aid Drupal Users Collective is holding a hackathon to develop open source tools using Drupal to improve access to justice. The hackathon is being held on Tuesday, January 10, 2017 (8am to 5:30pm CT), the day before the TIG Conference begins.  Go to the Legal Aid Drupal Hackathon website for more information.

More Information

The official Twitter hashtag for the conference is #LSCTIG.