header-logo header-logo

Texas hold’em

06 February 2015 / Roger Smith
Issue: 7639 / Categories: Opinion , Human rights
printer mail-detail
smith_3

Roger Smith reports on a busy start to 2015

The Legal Services Corporation (the federal US legal aid funder) held its 15th annual Technology Initiatives Grant conference in San Antonio this year. The town is best known for the Alamo; the death of Davy Crockett (whose most memorable quote is celebrated on widely available fridge magnets—“You can all go to hell, I am going to Texas”); and as a tourist destination. During the cheap season in January, 290 techies and interested managers turned up to discuss the latest advances in the use of technology in delivering legal services to the poor. To their great credit, the organisers began with an international session—dominated by the two jurisdictions most at the cutting edge of developments—the Netherlands and British Columbia. Thus, there was a presentation of the impressive latest version (2.0) of the Dutch Rechtwijzer project and British Columbia’s online end to end, advice to resolution programme—the civil resolution tribunal—both of which are due to go fully live this year.

The core of the conference was provided by presentations

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
The Court of Protection has ruled in Macpherson v Sunderland City Council that capacity must be presumed unless clearly rebutted. In this week's NLJ, Sam Karim KC and Sophie Hurst of Kings Chambers dissect the judgment and set out practical guidance for advisers faced with issues relating to retrospective capacity and/or assessments without an examination
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
back-to-top-scroll