Podcasts about Legal Services Corporation

Pennsylvania's state House Republican leader says transit agencies in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh should consider privatizing some functions to avoid service cuts. House minority leader Jesse Topper says Philadelphia's transit system -- the largest in the state -- could run more efficiently by hiring outside drivers. A spokesperson for Pittsburgh Regional Transit dismissed the idea. Pennsylvanians have less than a week to obtain a Real ID by the May 7th deadline. PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said PennDOT is ramping up for the last-minute rush. A new greenhouse gas emissions inventory from Philadelphia shows planet-warming emissions, are decreasing... from sources such as cars, trucks, homes, industrial facilities and leaks from gas pipelines. Sophia Schmidt, from our friends at WHYY's Climate Desk, reports. Pennsylvania was set to receive $13 million over three years to purchase fresh produce for communities in need. That funding was blocked by the Trump Administration last month. Isabela Weiss from our friends at WVIA reports, some farmers say the Local Food Purchasing Assistance (LFPA) program was deeply flawed and didn’t meet local needs... while food bank organizers say the funding is essential. The West York police officer killed in a York hospital seige in February... was killed by friendly fire. York County District Attorney Tim Barker says Andrew Duarte was struck by a shotgun blast fired by police that also hit an armed man holding hostages. Attorneys General from Pennsylvania and 39 other states are calling on Congress not to eliminate funding for a vital federal program. The Legal Services Corporation, or LSC, provides representation for eligible veterans and older individuals in rural areas. Harrisburg city officials have issued an emergency declaration for the 6th Street corridor. They're calling 6th Street a public safety hazard... between Maclay and Reily Streets... due to drivers consistently traveling above the posted speed limit of 25 miles per hour. Local musician Darrion Washington stopped by our studio recently to play a couple of his songs and chat. His music takes listeners through a range of emotions, from softer melodies to agonized wails. Darrion was joined by his friend and guitarist Austin VonStetten for a performance and conversation in our studio with WITF Music’s Joe Ulrich.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Trump, Xi Jinping at 2019 summit (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead Trump says tariffs going well, as China says US should stop threats and blackmail Budget proposal would phase out Head Start programs by 2026, as “war on poverty” program reaches 60th anniversary 40 state Attorneys General call for full funding of Legal Services Corporation civil legal aid for the poor Trump cuts grants to Whitney Plantation, first plantation museum focused on experience of enslaved people Transfer of border land to Defense Dept will allow troops to detain migrants in southern New Mexico The post 12 states sue to stop tariffs, as Trump says he'll be nice to China – April 23, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

  At first blush, the idea that eviction is the solution for landlords when residential tenants fall behind on their rent or otherwise violate terms of a lease seems obvious. And, indeed, in many situations, it is the only realistic path. As new research from landlord-tenant law experts at the national Legal Services Corporation shows […]

Legal tech innovators discuss how they are working to scale and improve their successful projects on Talk Justice. FosterPower and Legal Aid Content Intelligence (LACI) leverage technology to make high-quality legal information available to people for free online. Both also received Technology Initiative Grants (TIG) from the Legal Services Corporation to launch their projects. Then, in 2024 they were both selected for a different TIG, called the Sustainability, Enhancement and Adoption (SEA) grant. This funding supports TIG projects that have demonstrated excellent results as they improve their tools and work to increase uptake. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Legal tech innovators discuss how they are working to scale and improve their successful projects on Talk Justice. FosterPower and Legal Aid Content Intelligence (LACI) leverage technology to make high-quality legal information available to people for free online. Both also received Technology Initiative Grants (TIG) from the Legal Services Corporation to launch their projects. Then, in 2024 they were both selected for a different TIG, called the Sustainability, Enhancement and Adoption (SEA) grant. This funding supports TIG projects that have demonstrated excellent results as they improve their tools and work to increase uptake.

About the Guest: Nikole Nelson is the founding CEO of Frontline Justice and former Executive Director of the Alaska Legal Services Corporation. She has dedicated 25 years to enhancing access to justice, especially in rural communities, by developing innovative legal aid solutions that are community-led and people-centered. Nikole was instrumental in launching the Partnering for Native Health initiative, a medical-legal partnership that received the 2019 World Justice Challenge Award. She has also driven significant reforms, including changes to unauthorized practice of law regulations that benefit justice workers in Alaska. Nikole is actively involved as a member of the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigenous Defense (SCLAID) and the Legal Services Corporation's Rural Justice Task Force. Episode Summary: In this episode, Linda Odermott, host of the Paralegal Real Talk series, introduces Nikole Nelson, a pioneering advocate in the field of legal aid. Nikole shares insights into the development and success of Alaska's groundbreaking Community Justice Worker (CJW) project. Alaska's unique challenges, with vast remote areas and limited legal resources, led to innovative solutions that leveraged local community structures in bridging the justice gap. Nikole discusses how collaborations with the healthcare sector inspired strategies that train non-attorneys to deliver vital legal aid. The episode dives deeply into how these efforts first began with the establishment of the Partnering for Native Health project — a collaboration with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium — and how this initiative achieved remarkable success by extending legal assistance through trained community justice workers. This innovative model of delivering legal aid has not only enhanced accessibility in underserved regions but also set a precedent across multiple states now looking to emulate Alaska's success. Nikole passionately describes the vision of Frontline Justice to expand this approach nationwide, ensuring that every community receives the legal care they need. Key Takeaways: Alaska's Community Justice Worker project aims to bridge the justice gap by training non-attorney community members to provide essential legal services in rural and underserved areas. The success of this program leaned significantly on partnerships with existing healthcare infrastructures, demonstrating the power of cross-sector collaboration. Nikole Nelson emphasizes the importance of starting pragmatic, incremental steps in addressing legal needs rather than attempting to solve all complex legal problems at once. The program has enabled millions in SNAP benefits to be accessed and has seen a 100% success rate in the cases it has taken on. The discussion expands into the national landscape, where Frontline Justice is helping other states look to adopt similar community-led justice initiatives. Get more free paralegal resources:  https://paralegal-bootcamp.com/paralegal-resources 

Earlier this month, the Legal Services Corporation, the largest funder of civil legal aid in the United States, held its annual Innovations in Technology Conference in Phoenix. This year's conference was particularly special for two reasons. For one, it was the conference's 25th anniversary, as well as the 25th anniversary of the Technology Initiative Grants program that was the genesis of the conference.  For another, this year's conference followed the official retirement in November of Glenn Rawdon, the person who got the conference started in the first place and who oversaw it all these years. As program counsel at the LSC since 1999, it was Rawdon's job to assist legal services programs with their technology efforts, manage the LSC's technology grants, and make this conference happen every year.  Rawdon is our guest this week, as he sits down with host Bob Ambrogi to share the origin story and evolution of the two groundbreaking LSC initiatives he helped launch and oversee — the TIG program and the ITC conference (long known as the TIG conference).  From the conference's humble beginnings as a gathering of 32 people in New Orleans in 2000, Rawdon explains how it grew into what many now consider the premier global event focused on technology and access to justice, this year drawing 700 attendees and 150 presenters from around the world. He also discusses how the TIG program, which started with a $7.5 million budget funding mainly website projects, evolved to support more sophisticated technology initiatives aimed at expanding access to legal services. Drawing from his unique background as a solo practitioner who embraced technology in the 1980s to improve his own efficiency, Rawdon shares insights about the initially tentative but gradually expanding role of technology in legal aid organizations. He discusses key milestones like the development of document assembly tools, online intake systems, and statewide legal information websites — innovations that helped transform how legal aid is delivered.   Thank You To Our Sponsors This episode of LawNext is generously made possible by our sponsors. We appreciate their support and hope you will check them out. Paradigm, home to the practice management platforms PracticePanther, Bill4Time, MerusCase and LollyLaw; the e-payments platform Headnote; and the legal accounting software TrustBooks. Briefpoint, eliminating routine discovery response and request drafting tasks so you can focus on drafting what matters (or just make it home for dinner). LEX Reception, Never miss a call, with expert answering service for Lawyers.   If you enjoy listening to LawNext, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.  

From legal aid attorney to legal tech innovator, Sateesh Nori brings a unique perspective to the intersection of artificial intelligence and access to justice.  After spending two decades in the trenches as a housing lawyer at legal aid offices in New York City, Nori now bridges multiple worlds – continuing his legal aid work at the Legal Aid Society of NYC while also serving as an adjunct clinical professor at NYU Law School in its eviction defense clinic and working as a senior legal innovation strategist at Just-Tech LLC, a technology consulting firm that focuses on legal services providers.   He recently partnered with Housing Court Answers, a nonprofit tenants' rights organization in NYC, and Josef, the legal automation company, to develop and launch Roxanne, an AI-powered tool to help tenants understand their repair rights, and he believes artificial intelligence could be the key to finally making meaningful progress in closing the justice gap.  As if all that were not enough to keep Nori busy, he recently published a memoir, Sheltered: Twenty Years in Housing Court, and gave a TEDx talk, How A Chatbot Can Save Someone From Homelessness.  Today, in a conversation recorded live at the Legal Services Corporation's Innovations in Technology conference in Phoenix last week, Nori and host Bob Ambrogi discuss why he believes that AI is as transformative as electricity, how he is using it in his own work, and why he believes law schools are failing to prepare students for the AI revolution. Thank You To Our Sponsors This episode of LawNext is generously made possible by our sponsors. We appreciate their support and hope you will check them out. Paradigm, home to the practice management platforms PracticePanther, Bill4Time, MerusCase and LollyLaw; the e-payments platform Headnote; and the legal accounting software TrustBooks. Briefpoint, eliminating routine discovery response and request drafting tasks so you can focus on drafting what matters (or just make it home for dinner).   If you enjoy listening to LawNext, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.  

Connect with Melissa DaveyMelissa Davey, now in her 70's, retired from a lengthy corporate career in 2016 to pursue her second act and dream of becoming a filmmaker.Melissa began her early career in Legal Services. As a Paralegal, Melissa represented more than one thousand individuals before the Social Security Administration and was a national substantive law trainer for the Legal Services Corporation.In 1994 Melissa was recruited to the for-profit company, Genex, headquartered in Wayne, PA, to build their national Social Security advocacy program. As the Vice President of Social Security and Managed Disability for 22 years, Melissa sat on the company's executive team and worked throughout the United States to create and deliver services to the disability insurance marketplace.At age 65, after a day on the set with M Night Shyamalan, she decided to take a risk and left her career to jump into the unknown.Pursuing her dream of becoming a filmmaker became a reality in late 2018 when Melissa completed her first feature film, Beyond Sixty. During 2019 Melissa's film was accepted by and screened at 8 film festivals throughout the United States and Canada, winning awards and confirming that it is never too late to learn something new.Picked up by a Distributor and released in 2021, the film is currently available on most streaming platforms, including AppleTV, PrimeVideo, Vimeo, Vudu and YouTubeTV.Melissa's second film, Climbing into Life details the inspiring life story of Dierdre Wolownick, the oldest woman to ascend El Captain. The film is currently making the film festival rounds.Connect with Host Terry LohrbeerIf you are a Boomer and feel you would make a great guest please email Terry with your bio and any other info you would like to share at: terry@kickassboomers.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2658545911065461/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrylohrbeer/Instagram: kickassboomersTwitter: @kickassboomersWebsite: kickassboomers.comTerry's editing company:Connect to Premiere Podcast Pros for podcast editing:premierepodcastpros@gmail.com LEAVE A REVIEW and join me on my journey to become and stay a Kickass Boomer!Visit http://kickassboomers.com/ to listen to the previous episodes. Also check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Email terry@kickassboomers.com and connect with me online and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

In this episode, NAWL member, Nicole Smithson, speaks with Chief Judge Angela Sherigan, who serves as the Chief Judge for the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians of Michigan. Nicole and Chief Judge Sherigan discuss the inner workings of tribal courts compared to state and federal courts, including the role of peacemakers, and the focus on community healing.****Judge Angela Sherigan serves as the Chief Judge for the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, in Manistee, MI., where she has served for 15 years, and is the managing partner of Wojnecka & Sherigan, P.C. in Shelby Township, MI., practicing criminal defense, Federal Indian Law, and tribal law. Judge Sherigan currently serves as the Chair of the American Indian Law Committee for the State Bar of Michigan, is the Secretary for the Michigan Indian Judicial Association, a member of the Tribal-StateFederal Judicial Forum, and the State Court Administrator's Office, Court Improvement, Tribal Court Relations Committee. She is a former President of the Women Lawyer Association of Michigan, Macomb Region, and the only person to serve two terms as the statewide president of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, She was part of the workgroup that put forth the Michigan Indian Family Preservation Act, and has handled numerous child welfare cases as a judge and as a private practitioner. In 2012 she received the Pro-bono award from the national Legal Services Corporation, in 2013 she was named a Leader in the Law by Michigan Lawyers Weekly and is the recipient of the 2016 Tecumseh Peacekeeping Award from the American Indian Law Section.

In November, the organization Frontline Justice launched with the mission of addressing the escalating access to justice crisis by empowering a new category of legal helper, the justice worker. The organization has an ambitious mission: To clear the way for justice workers to exist in all 50 states by 2035.  In pursuit of that mission, it is backed by an impressive founding team that includes Rebecca Sandefur, one of the world's leading scholars on access to justice (who was on LawNext in 2020); Matthew Burnett, senior program officer for the Access to Justice Research Initiative at the American Bar Foundation (ABF); Jim Sandman, president emeritus of the Legal Services Corporation (on LawNext in 2019); and other notable names.  On this episode of LawNext, host Bob Ambrogi is joined by Nikole Nelson, the CEO of Frontline Justice. Before starting there in November, Nelson had been executive director of Alaska Legal Services Corporation, where she was instrumental in launching a statewide community justice worker project that won the 2019 World Justice Challenge. She was also instrumental in bringing about an Alaska Supreme Court rule change in 2022 allowing justice workers supervised by Alaska Legal Services to provide limited scope legal help in certain situations.  Nelson describes how justice workers helped Alaska Legal Services better serve the legal problems of people across the state's remotest regions, and how new models of justice workers in other states could similarly help reach those who are not now receiving adequate help for their legal problems. She also recognizes that Frontline Justice faces obstacles in achieving its mission, and she shares her thoughts on how it can overcome them.  Thank You To Our Sponsors This episode of LawNext is generously made possible by our sponsors. We appreciate their support and hope you will check them out. Paradigm, home to the practice management platforms PracticePanther, Bill4Time, MerusCase and LollyLaw; the e-payments platform Headnote; and the legal accounting software TrustBooks.   If you enjoy listening to LawNext, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.  

At a time when some 92% of the civil legal problems of low-income Americans receive no or inadequate legal help, innovative measures are needed to close the justice gap. Recognizing that, Legal Aid of North Carolina, a program that provides free legal services to low-income people through the state, last year became the first legal services program in the United States to launch an Innovation Lab, devoted to identifying and implementing new solutions for bridging the justice gap.  Development of the lab was initiated by Ashley Campbell, who returned to LANC as its CEO in 2022 after having worked there at the start of her career, and Scheree Gilchrist, a longtime LANC attorney who Campbell named as LANC's first chief innovation officer soon after she became CEO. Also instrumental in creating the lab was Jeffrey M. Kelly, partner at the law firm Nelson Mullins, who now serves as chair of the lab's advisory board.  Campbell, Gilchrist and Kelly are our guests in today's episode. Host Bob Ambrogi interviewed them live last week at the Legal Services Corporation's Innovations in Technology Conference in Charlotte, N.C. The three had just spoken together as part of a panel on creating a culture of innovation in legal services. In this interview, they share their thoughts on that and provide details on the work of the Innovation Lab.    Thank You To Our Sponsors This episode of LawNext is generously made possible by our sponsors. We appreciate their support and hope you will check them out. Paradigm, home to the practice management platforms PracticePanther, Bill4Time, MerusCase and LollyLaw; the e-payments platform Headnote; and the legal accounting software TrustBooks. If you enjoy listening to LawNext, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.  

Get an in-depth look at U.S. minimum wage variations, with budgeting tips and assistance programs for financial security. Are we in a recession? How much inflation has happened in the US recently? Is it too early to file your taxes? Hosts Sean Pyles and Anna Helhoski delve into this week's financial headlines, including positive GDP growth and the implications of inflation on interest rates, before taking a closer look at the pressing issue of minimum wage in the United States. They address the disparities in minimum wage across states and cities and how it impacts workers. Plus, analysis of data on minimum wage increases in various areas, highlighting significant bumps in pay rates. Their discussion covers the highest minimum wages in the U.S., emphasize the challenges faced by those stuck at the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour and the struggles of hourly workers to keep up with inflation, and offer suggestions to help listeners facing financial difficulties, including budgeting tips and reaching out to organizations equipped to offer support for those who need it. In their conversation, the Nerds discuss: minimum wages, budgeting tips, financial assistance, hourly workers, inflation, GDP growth, interest rates, personal finance, money headlines, tax season, federal minimum wage, income, consumer confidence, financial crisis, eviction, food insecurity, assistance programs, 50/30/20 rule, SNAP benefits, bills, payment plans, mortgage, rental assistance, legal aid, economic outlook, economic trends, gross domestic product, Federal Reserve, inflation-adjusted GDP, disposable incomes, financial counselors, 211, Emergency Rental Assistance Programs, Legal Services Corporation, National Low Income Housing Coalition, Inflation Reduction Act, stock market, recession predictions, part-time jobs, gig economy, and financial security. To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend.

Annual U.S. litigation cost estimates vary wildly.  Some say $250 billion, others say $430 billion. When you consider indirect costs, such as lost productivity or economic damages, some put the costs as high as  $1.5 trillion. According to Statista, more than $5 billion is spent on employment litigation alone, and another $4.5 billion on commercial litigation. Litigation surrounding intellectual property, product liability, and real estate disputes, cost more than $3 billion each.  Time is also a factor. As any litigator knows, resolution of a lawsuit can take three to five years on average. Some cases drag on for more than a decade.Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is increasingly attractive. Its benefits were  on full display during Covid lockdowns. It's more convenient for almost everyone involved, especially in cross-country or cross-border disputes.  An important and dangerous side effect of litigation expense is access to justice. Everyone will have disputes and conflicts in their lives, but not everyone can afford to go to court. More ADR is moving from mediation to arbitration partly because of the perceived finality of going to a panel. The American Arbitration Association says there were 25,000 ADR cases filed in 2020. Meanwhile, there are more than 400,000 federal suits and as many as 60 million state suits filed each year.Listen to my interview with Rich Lee, CEO and Co-Founder, New Era/ADR as we discuss hot topics and issues involving what is referred to here as "Advanced Dispute Resolution." Before New Era/ADR, Rich was general counsel of a financial technology company that he helped to build, grow, and sell. Rich  serves as an advisor, board member, and investor in technology startups and venture funds and in a leadership role in the Economic Club of Chicago.  He serves on the national Leader's Council of the Legal Services Corporation (a U.S. Senate-funded 501c3) and on the board of Illinois Legal Aid Online. He has a J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and a B.S. in Bioengineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.I hope you enjoy the episode. If so, give us a rating!***********This podcast is the audio companion to the Journal of Emerging Issues in Litigation. The Journal is a collaborative project between HB Litigation Conferences and the vLex Fastcase legal research family, which includes Full Court Press, Law Street Media, and Docket Alarm.If you have comments, ideas, or wish to participate, please drop me a note at Editor@LitigationConferences.com.Tom HagyLitigation Enthusiast andHost of the Emerging Litigation PodcastHome PageLinkedIn

Welcome to the Accounting Influencers Podcast, going live every Monday to 150 countries and 30,000 accounting practitioners, fintech specialists and influencers in the accountancy, CPA and bookkeeping space.In this episode of the Accounting Influencers Podcast, Rob Brown sits down with Calvin Harris, the CEO of the New York State Society of CPAs. Calvin discusses his role in leading the organization that represents CPAs in New York State and beyond. He shares his perspective on being a CPA and the importance of the credential.Calvin talks about the challenges and opportunities facing the accounting profession today, emphasizing the need for CPAs to demonstrate their relevance in a changing landscape. He highlights the role of technology, communication, and storytelling in showcasing the value of the accounting profession to younger generations.The conversation also touches on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the profession and the lessons learned from it. Calvin shares insights into the evolving role of CPAs and the importance of adaptability.Tune in to gain valuable insights from Calvin Harris on the state of the accounting profession and the path forward for CPAs in a dynamic world.YoutubeYou can watch this episode and more on our YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@accountinginfluencers Guest BioCalvin Harris Jr., CPA (MD), is the CEO of the New York State Society of CPAs, the oldest state accounting association in the U.S. With 30+ years of executive experience, he's been a CFO, auditor, forensic accountant, consultant, and entrepreneur.A Morehouse College graduate, Calvin previously served as the SVP & CFO of the National Urban League in NYC and CFO of Baltimore City Community College. He's held leadership roles at organizations like the United Nations Foundation, NeighborWorks America, Legal Services Corporation, and Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation. His career began as an auditor at Arthur Andersen.Calvin, the 24th Chairman of the Board and National President of the National Association of Black Accountants, has a deep passion for the accounting profession, inspired by his mother, a high school bookkeeping teacher. A Maryland native, he now calls Brooklyn, New York, home.Season 4 Sponsors & Links◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢If you like the show, we'd truly appreciate a review on whatever platform you listen. We'd love to get to know you!Main show website. For access to every single show with full shownotes: https://accountinginfluencers.com/podcastFor announcements of published shows, tagging guest so you can build your network and offer feedback on the show: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accountinginfluencersFor videos of all podcast interviews and bonus video content: https://bit.ly/AI-youtubehttps://www.instagram.com/accinfluencershttps://twitter.com/accinfluencershttps://www.facebook.com/accountinginfluencersThanks to our sponsors:Accountex. Accountex will return to ExCeL London UK on the 10-11 May 2023. Bringing together 250+ top fintech companies and cutting-edge start-ups, visitors can browse new software and stay up to date with the latest technology, tools and ideas in accountancy and finance. Alongside the exhibition, attendees will take away actionable tips from

Madelaine Claire Weiss is a licensed psychotherapist and mindset expert who helps clients control their thoughts for a happier, more successful life. With a robust educational background from Harvard, she holds an MBA and is a Board-Certified Executive, Career, and Life Coach. She co-authored the “Handbook of Stressful Transitions Across the Lifespan” and authored “Getting to G.R.E.A.T: 5-Step Strategy for Work and Life…Based on Science and Stories.” Throughout her career, Madelaine has had a diverse career, overseeing mental health practices and holding the role of a chief organizational development officer in the corporate world. Her journey led her to an associate director role at Harvard Medical School's Anatomical Gift Program. As a corporate trainer, Madelaine delivered programs to diverse organizations, including law firms, Harvard Medical School, Legal Services Corporation, and more. She's been a guest on numerous TV programs and podcasts, spreading her wisdom and contributing to various publications. Madelaine Weiss is a beacon of guidance for those striving to make the most of their lives. Listen & Subscribe on: iTunes / Stitcher / Podbean / Overcast / Spotify Contact Info Website: https://www.MadelaineWeis.com Book: Getting To G.R.E.A.T.: A 5-Step Strategy For Work and Life; Based on Science and Stories by Madelaine Weiss Most Influential Person Ellen Langer, Author Jon Kabat Zinn Effect on Emotions You know, I am so even now that it scares me sometimes. So if I cry at a movie, it's like, oh, thank God I can still cry. You know, because, it's (my emotions) evened out so much. I'm also old. And I heard that that happens when you're old too. So I don't know how much of it is mindfulness, but I know that Sarah Lazar at Mass General has done studies on this kind of thickening in the brain that happens through meditation, which is kind of like a buffer. So it doesn't mean that you don't know how you feel. It's just that it doesn't break through in a way that overwhelms you.To your question, I like to think that mindfulness helps, and it's not just that I'm old, but I'm not sure. Thoughts on Breathing I think that the 30-second mindset reset called polyvagal breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, power breathing, call it what you want, is just everybody's best friend forever. When I talk about how we get primitive under stress. When it's extreme, and I think it feels extreme to a lot of people right now, understandably, we go into fight-flight freeze and that's in the sympathetic nervous system. So, just these 3 breaths that are taken in a very specific way. Suggested Resources Book: The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health by Ellen Langer Book: How People Change by Allen Wheelis App: n/a Bullying Story I used to believe that I was the one being bullied, without going into too much detail. The bullying came from different sources, which made it hard to understand. But a few years ago, when I met up with some high school friends for lunch, something surprising happened. One of them pulled out a song I had written during my high school sorority days. They told me I had to write a mean song about someone, and when I saw it, I was horrified. I wanted to believe it was made up, but it wasn't. I had written that song. I couldn't reconcile this unkind act with the kind person I considered myself to be. It made me wonder how mindfulness could have helped. Children today are guided more than we were back then, and I hope such behavior would be recognized as wrong. I wrote a blog post about rudeness this week, as it seems to be on the rise. While it's not a new problem, it's essential to encourage kindness and civility, as even ancient civilizations struggled with these issues. Related Episodes Lessen Your Stress Using This Super Achiever Habit; Amy Novotny Adjust Your Sails With Joel Brookman Steven Shalowitz Uses Mindfulness to Embrace Cultural Differences Are you experiencing anxiety & stress? I'm Bruce Langford, a practicing coach and hypnotist helping fast-track people just like you to shed their inner bully and move forward with confidence. Book a Free Coaching Session to get you on the road to a more satisfying life, feeling grounded and focused. Send me an email at bruce@mindfulnessmode.com with ‘Time Is Right' in the subject line. We'll set up a call to discuss how you can move forward to a better life.

A seasoned overseer of federal grant-making has returned to government. After a stint at a large services contractor, Tom Yatsco recently became the inspector general at the Legal Services Corporation, one of the more unusual federal structures. He and Federal Drive Host Tom Temin has this conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A seasoned overseer of federal grant-making has returned to government. After a stint at a large services contractor, Tom Yatsco recently became the inspector general at the Legal Services Corporation, one of the more unusual federal structures. He and Federal Drive Host Tom Temin has this conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tanner Jones, your host and Vice President of Business Development at Consultwebs, welcomes you to another episode of the LAWsome Podcast by Consultwebs. In today's episode, Tanner is accompanied by Rich Lee,  the CEO and Co-Founder of New Era ADR. His company helps businesses and individuals give a resolution to their litigation challenges through its digital platform. He also serves as an advisor, board member, and investor in technology startups in venture funds. With a passion for solving the access to justice gap in the United States, Rich serves on the National Leader's Council of the Legal Services Corporation, a US Senate funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Today's topic is the adoption of new technologies by risk-averse attorneys. Dive in to find out more. Key Takeaways: 0:18 - Introduction 1:30 - Why attorneys are risk-averse when adopting new technologies 3:45 - How can law firm owners train their staff to leverage technology 6:30 - How tech providers can support law firms 10:30 - Tech tools law firms are hesitant to adopt 12:30 - Law firms and ADP, Advance/Alternative Dispute Resolution 18:55 - Emerging legal technology disruptors and trends 22:40 - Ending thoughts   Best way to contact Rich Lee: rich.lee@neweraadr.com Discover More About the Podcast and Consultwebs: Subscribe to the LAWsome Podcast by Consultwebs on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify

Senior Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit David Tatel joins LSC President Ron Flagg to share his memories of the 1974 founding of the Legal Services Corporation, as well as his view on the roles of courts and lawyers in the advancement of access to justice on this episode of LSC's “Talk Justice.”

Senior Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit David Tatel joins LSC President Ron Flagg to share his memories of the 1974 founding of the Legal Services Corporation, as well as his view on the roles of courts and lawyers in the advancement of access to justice on this episode of LSC's “Talk Justice.”

The justice gap represents the difference between the civil legal assistance available to low-income individuals and the assistance that they need. Alexander (“Alex”) Forger, former Chairman and retired partner at Milbank, has spent much of his career ensuring that working-class people have equal access to legal representation and that the federal Legal Services Corporation (LSC) – which he headed – can thrive as an essential resource to fund pro bono legal services nationally.  Now 100 years old, Alex remains outspoken about what it takes to make the justice system fair.  Host Allan Marks talks with Alex about his longstanding dedication to helping others and what drives this top Wall Street trusts and estates lawyer to fight for those less privileged.  Topics they cover include: Successfully challenging opponents in Congress to preserve the LSC – what it means to protect equal access to legal representation for poor peopleThe critical role of lawyers in expanding justice and democracy – and why it is morally imperative to do so The value of pro bono work – both to volunteer or public interest attorneys and to the indigent clients they serveCareer advice – for younger lawyers and for retired lawyers alike About the SpeakersAlex Forger is a World War II veteran and renowned trusts and estates lawyer who has represented several well-known clients, including Jacqueline Onassis, Rachel “Bunny” Mellon, as well as the Johnson, Duke and Rockefeller families. Under his leadership as Chairman, Milbank was the first law firm in New York City to offer same-sex partner benefits in 1992. Alex served as President of the New York State Bar Association, as director, president and chair of the New York Legal Aid Society, and on countless committees for minority advancement, gay rights and HIV anti-discrimination initiatives, legal services for the poor, and campaign finance reform. He institutionalized Milbank's pro bono program, which has set a model for other top law firms nationally. After four decades in private practice, Alex went to Washington to serve under President Bill Clinton as president of the Legal Services Corporation, a federally funded program that gives poor people meaningful access to the courts and qualified legal representation. Podcast host Allan Marks is one of the world's leading project finance lawyers. He advises developers, investors, lenders, and underwriters around the world in the development and financing of complex energy and infrastructure projects, as well as related acquisitions, restructurings and capital markets transactions. Many of his transactions relate to ESG and sustainability, innovative clean technologies, and sophisticated contractual risk allocation. Allan serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley at the Law School and previously at the Haas School of Business.For more information and insights, follow us on social media and podcast platforms, including Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google and Audible.Disclaimer

As we've discussed many times on the podcast, the access to justice gap is a particularly complex challenge to address, due to its links to systemic issues such as poverty and limited availability to legal resources and technology. Today's guest, however, is helping people overcome these broader obstacles to legal services. Amanda Brown is the founder and executive director of Lagniappe Law Lab. The organization's mission is to facilitate access to justice at scale for Louisiana's underprivileged populations through the use of technology, human-centered design, and operations principles. Upon graduating law school, Amanda was a disaster recovery attorney, using technology to assist victims of disasters with accessing public benefits and title clearing. She then worked as a Microsoft NextGen Fellow for the American Bar Association's Center for Innovation, helping support the design and development of the Legal Services Corporation's legal navigator program, which connects those in need with legal resources available to them. She went on to serve as a legal technology consultant for the Louisiana Bar Foundation on its statewide triage portal. Drawing on these experiences in legal tech and the A2J space, Amanda founded Lagniappe Law Lab in 2019. She is also co-chair of Louisiana's Access to Justice Commission's technology subcommittee, and she is a member of the Legal Services Corporation's Emerging Leaders Council. Today, Amanda tells us about Lagniappe Law Lab—and how the team is incorporating human-centered design in its work, the unique challenges that the Lab's clients face in Louisiana, and how she entered the A2J path.

It can be challenging for people with limited means to find attorneys willing to take them on as clients. Courtroom5 provides this group with Do-It-Yourself online help in some areas of law. This online service assists people in representing themselves in court. This week's Tech Savvy Lawyer podcast episode features Sonja Ebron, CEO of Courtroom5. Sonja is a Ph.D. electoral engineer and former college professor with a background in utilities and artificial intelligence. She has represented herself in court numerous times. As CEO at Courtroom5, Sonja has made it her personal mission to empower people to represent themselves effectively in court. She serves on the board of Responsive Law, a national advocacy organization focused on the rights of legal consumers, and on the Leaders Council of the Legal Services Corporation, the nation's primary funding source for legal aid programs. She is a founding member of the Justice Technology Association, a trade organization for direct-to-consumer legal tech companies and nonprofits. Join Sonja and me as we discuss the following three questions and more! What are three areas of technology attorneys should be looking at when it comes to assisting those with lesser means? What are three things attorneys can learn from platforms like courtroom five to help serve those with lesser means? What are your top three concerns regarding courtroom five, raising UPL scrutiny? In our conversation, we cover: [00.56] Tech setup – Starting the conversation, Sonja dives into her current tech setup and on what specific occasions she uses her tech tools. [13.52] Typing and writing – Sonja shares how writing makes a difference in a person. [16.06] Lesser means – Sonja shares some areas of technology where attorneys have to assist with lesser means. [22.55] Access to the internet – Michael and Sonja discuss how difficult it is to work with a client who has no way of using technology. [25.28] Courtroom5 – Sonja shares how the lawyers she works with try to educate clients that they can't serve otherwise. [28.18] Top three concerns – Sonja shares their top concerns in courtroom5 regarding raising UPL. [37.50] Legal services – Courtroom5 is not a law firm. It does not provide any legal advice. Sonja explains what courtroom5 does to help their clients to understand the required work. Resources: Connect with Lindsey: LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/sonjaebron/ Website - courtroom5.com/ Twitter - twitter.com/Courtroom5Legal Equipment Mentioned in the Podcast MacBook Air - apple.com/macbook-air/ Mojo headphones - mojoburst.com/shop Sony headphones - electronics.sony.com/audio/headphones/c/headband Ring light - lumecube.com/collections/content-creators Microphone - bluemic.com/en-us/products/yeti/ iPad - apple.com/ipad/ iHome speaker - ihomeaudiointl.com/products/#/ TNT wifi - tntph.com/ HP laser printer - hp.com/us-en/shop/vwa/printers/prnttyp=Laser Brother printers - brother.com.lk/en/products/all-printers/printers M1 chip - apple.com/macbook-air-m1/ Apple pencil - apple.com/apple-pencil/ Notebooks - getrocketbook.com/ Software & Services Mentioned in the Podcast PandaDoc - pandadoc.com/ DocuSign - docusign.com/ HelloDivorce - hellodivorce.com/ Courtroom5 - courtroom5.com/

Laura Tuggle has been the Executive Director of Southeast Louisiana Legal Services(SLLS) since May 2014 after beginning her career at SLLS in 1993. She previously managed SLLS' Housing Law Unit during the years immediately following Hurricane Katrina from 2005-2010. Over her public interest career, she has excelled in many areas including direct services, systemic work, and policy advocacy resulting in increased access to housing for special populations including the homeless, peopleliving disabilities, and disaster survivors. Impact litigation filed by Laura resulted in significant legal victories for low-income tenants including millions of dollars in federal relocation assistance and establishing a private right of action for voucher assisted tenants to challenge utility allowances in federal court. She is an author of the Federally Subsidized Housing Program portion of the Louisiana Legal Services Desk Manual and coauthor of the housing portion of the Brookings Institute New Orleans Index at 5.Laura has received national, state, and local awards for her work in the interest of housing justice. Laura graduated from LSU in 1984 and received her Juris Doctorate degree from Tulane Law School in 1987. She currently serves on the Board of the New Orleans Family Justice Center, Shared Housing, as Co-Chair of the Legal Services Corporation's National Disaster Task Force Relationship-Building and Integration ofLegal Services into the Nation's Emergency Management Infrastructure Committee, on the Louisiana Access to Justice Commission's Funding, Technology, Disaster, and Building Brides Committees and on the Louisiana State Bar Association's Access to Justice Committee. She was recently appointed to the Legal Services Corporation's Housing Task Force. She also serves on several task forces to improve civillegal services and housing opportunities for vulnerable people.To learn more about the work of the Foundation, please visit braf.org.

In this podcast pt 2, Matt Eshleman and guest Jada Breegle from Legal Services Corporation dig a little deeper into how to get buy-in from executives and answer some audience questions on international training, zero trust, and other issues.This wide-ranging discussion focuses on cybersecurity at nonprofits and how funders can work collaboratively with grantees to instill a staff culture of healthy skepticism as part of a strong cyber defense. Research shows that short, frequent and realistic trainings are more valuable than a once-a-year security video at creating an email safety culture at nonprofits. You can have all the correct security tools in place but the number one way a hack will happen is when someone on your staff clicks on the wrong link in a compromised email that looks real.In this webinar, Matt and Jada answer attendee questions about working with funders to improve cybersecurity at nonprofits, including important security training for nonprofit grantees.If you are a funder, you'll learn how to work with your grantees to help them protect your financial investments in them and better ensure they are able to deliver their important nonprofit missions without the delays and financial burdens of being hacked.If you are a grantee, we explore ways to approach your funders about cybersecurity training and support to help strengthen your staff and qualify for necessary cyber insurance. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com tweet us @CommunityIT Thanks for listening. ...

Matt Eshleman and guest Jada Breegle from Legal Services Corporation hold a wide-ranging discussion of cybersecurity at nonprofits and how funders can work collaboratively with grantees to instill a staff culture of healthy skepticism as part of a strong cyber defense. Research shows that short, frequent and realistic trainings are more valuable than a once-a-year security video at creating an email safety culture at nonprofits. You can have all the correct security tools in place but the number one way a hack will happen is when someone on your staff clicks on the wrong link in a compromised email that looks real.In this webinar, Matt and Jada answer attendee questions about working with funders to improve cybersecurity at nonprofits, including important security training for nonprofit grantees.If you are a funder, you'll learn how to work with your grantees to help them protect your financial investments in them and better ensure they are able to deliver their important nonprofit missions without the delays and financial burdens of being hacked.If you are a grantee, we explore ways to approach your funders about cybersecurity training and support to help strengthen your staff and qualify for necessary cyber insurance. _______________________________Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com tweet us @CommunityIT Thanks for listening. ...

Joe Kennedy III is a former member of Congress from Massachusetts. Since leaving the House in 2021 following his unsuccessful primary challenge to incumbent Senator Ed Markey, Kennedy has been focused on supporting grassroots political organizing. He's also heavily involved in the Legal Services Corporation, which funds civil legal assistance to low-income Americans. Preet spoke with Kennedy about the LSC's new report on the “Justice Gap,” the cost of public service, and the blessings and baggage of growing up a Kennedy. Plus, Preet breaks down the bombshell report that DOJ is investigating Trump's actions related to January 6th, and Steve Bannon's conviction on charges of contempt of Congress.  In the bonus for CAFE Insiders, Kennedy discusses his harrowing experience on his first day in Professor Elizabeth Warren's Harvard Law School class. To listen, try the membership for just $1 for one month: cafe.com/insider.  For show notes and a transcript of the episode, head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/the-justice-gap-with-joe-kennedy-iii/  Tweet your questions to @PreetBharara with hashtag #askpreet, email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 669-247-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's news includes a lawsuit filed against Black Lives Matter by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, law school passage numbers, an update on the Indianapolis Lawyer accused of taking part in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and the recent turnover on Indiana's appellate and trial court benches. This week's guest is Legal Services Corporation board member Abby Kuzma.    

The presidents of the ABA and the Legal Services Corporation sit down on the latest episode of LSC's “Talk Justice” podcast to discuss the historic partnership between their organizations and new efforts to bolster legal aid and pro bono.

The presidents of the ABA and the Legal Services Corporation sit down on the latest episode of LSC's “Talk Justice” podcast to discuss the historic partnership between their organizations and new efforts to bolster legal aid and pro bono.

This week Dan talks to historian and UW-alumnus David Harrisville about his new book, The Virtuous Wehrmacht: Crafting the Myth of the German Soldier on the Eastern Front, 1941-1944 (Cornell, 2021). David's research examines the moral and religious worlds of rank-and-file German soldiers during World War II, raising profound questions about the ways humans justify their behavior and how religious commitment shapes action. At the end of the conversation David mentions some recommended further readings on morality, war, and the Wehrmacht, hyperlinked here by author: Michael Walzer, Omer Bartov, Ben Shepherd, and Wolfram Wette. For digital maps made by David to accompany the book, see here. David Harrisville is a graduate of Carleton College and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned an MA and PhD in Modern European History. David has been a postdoctoral fellow at UW-Madison and a visiting assistant professor at Furman University. He currently works for Legal Services Corporation. As always we invite you to leave us a rating on your favorite podcast app and send us comments and suggestions at podcast@slbrownfoundation.org. Credits: music by Micah Behr, audio engineering by Andy Johnson, graphic design by Madeline Ramsey.

Calvin Harris Jr., is Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer for the National Urban League (“NUL”), based in New York City. He has over 30 years of “Csuite” level experience in working with complex organizations. Calvin is a Certified Public Accountant, and graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta. Prior to NUL, Calvin served as the CFO of Baltimore City Community College (“BCCC”), along with prior roles at non-profits such as the United Nations Foundation, NeighborWorks America, Legal Services Corporation, and Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation. His career began at the international accounting firm Arthur Andersen and Calvin has served as CFO, auditor, controller, forensic accountant, consultant, and expert witness over his career. During his role as CFO at BCCC, the Baltimore Business Journal named Calvin as a “Best in Finance: CFO” of the year award recipient, and twice he has been named one the “Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting” by Accounting Today magazine. Frequently contacted on matters related to business and leadership, Calvin has been quoted or interviewed by numerous news sources including Inc., CFO magazine, Black Enterprise, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, AMEX Open Forum and Staples Business Hub, and Financial Executives International. Calvin is a former Chairman of the Board and National President of the National Association of Black Accountants (“NABA”) and a former President of the Baltimore NABA Chapter. Among prior volunteer roles, he has served as the Vice Chair of the Maryland Association of Community College Business Officers (“MACCBO”), Chair of the Board of DC Doors, and is a Board member of the Maryland SPCA. A lifelong-Marylander, Calvin resides in Brooklyn, New York Clavin also writes a colunm for Sarciosis News - https://sarcoidosisnews.com/category/columns/ Calvin Harris, Jr. can be found via Social Media @Calvin Harris YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/lPCW1w8BGPw --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kwallerspeaks/message

Grants will Permit LASH to Develop AI Apps. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guest is Ron Flagg. Ron Flagg, president of the Legal Services Corporation, discusses the crisis in civil legal aid and how technology can address it. LSC's technology initiative grants have helped expand access to justice across the country and in Hawaii. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6mAjbhHpq-LyAm9pcuN3zJ

Veterans advocates discussed how unfavorable discharges, known as “bad paper,” prevent veterans from accessing the basic benefits and services they need on the latest episode of “Talk Justice,” the Legal Services Corporation's (LSC) podcast. {produced by the Legal Services Corporation}

Veterans advocates discussed how unfavorable discharges, known as “bad paper,” prevent veterans from accessing the basic benefits and services they need on the latest episode of “Talk Justice,” the Legal Services Corporation's (LSC) podcast. {produced by the Legal Services Corporation}

Legal experts discuss the role of data in understanding and implementing civil legal aid. Guests James Sandman, president emeritus of the Legal Services Corporation; David Udell, executive director of the National Center for Access to Justice (NCAJ); and Logan Cornett, director of research at the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS), join LSC Emerging Leaders Council member Jason Tashea to offer their perspectives on the importance of data collection for increasing access to justice.

Legal experts discuss the role of data in understanding and implementing civil legal aid. Guests James Sandman, president emeritus of the Legal Services Corporation; David Udell, executive director of the National Center for Access to Justice (NCAJ); and Logan Cornett, director of research at the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS), join LSC Emerging Leaders Council member Jason Tashea to offer their perspectives on the importance of data collection for increasing access to justice.

In this episode of Talk Justice, host Jason Tashea sits down with Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5), co-chair of the Congressional Access to Civil Legal Aid Caucus; Karen Lash of the American University Justice Programs Office and former official at DOJ's Office for Access to Justice; and Elizabeth Werner, managing attorney at Legal Aid of West Virginia to discuss what President Biden's executive order re-establishing the White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable means for access to justice.   {produced by the Legal Services Corporation}

In this episode of Talk Justice, host Jason Tashea sits down with Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5), co-chair of the Congressional Access to Civil Legal Aid Caucus; Karen Lash of the American University Justice Programs Office and former official at DOJ's Office for Access to Justice; and Elizabeth Werner, managing attorney at Legal Aid of West Virginia to discuss what President Biden's executive order re-establishing the White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable means for access to justice.   {produced by the Legal Services Corporation}

In this episode, we're joined by Madelaine Claire Weiss (MBA, BCC, LICSW). Madelaine is a Harvard-trained Licensed Psychotherapist, Mindset Expert, and Board-Certified Executive, Career, Life Coach who helps high achievers master their minds so they can maintain and enjoy satisfaction and success in all areas of their lives, without burning out. She is a co-author in the Handbook of Stressful Transitions Across the Lifespan, and author of Getting to G.R.E.A.T: 5-Step Strategy for Work and Life...Based on Science and Stories. She is a former group mental health practice administrative director, a corporate chief organizational development officer, and associate director of the Anatomical Gift Program at Harvard Medical School where she spoke before the Joint Committee on the Status of Women. As a corporate trainer, Madelaine delivered programs for many law firms and such diverse organizations as Harvard Medical School, Harvard Law School, Legal Services Corporation, the National Association of Realtors, DC Academy of General Dentistry, AARP, the American Bar Association, and the Bureau of National Affairs. Madelaine has been featured on NBC, Fox TV, Bold TV, W4WRadio, Talk4TV, Speakers Without Borders: a wide variety of podcasts including The Partner Podcast, and Major, Lindsey, & Africa's Erasing the Stigma, and has written for such publications as Thrive Global, Authority Magazine's Editors List, UpJourney, Marriage dot Com, the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation Quarterly, and My Perfect Financial Advisor. In this episode, we explore: not staying too long going over the past staving off burnout how to discipline the mind to be present life is a series of decisions we make how to put yourself in control of the mind getting to GREAT process why you have to be uncomfortable to learn confidence doesn't equal comfortable imposter syndrome and loads more. You can connect with Madelaine via Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or via her website Follow our host Hannah @hannah.stainer on Instagram or Twitter. Follow our podcast @psykhecoaching on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or connect with us via our website where you can download your gratitude journal by signing up to our mailing list. Support the podcast by sending us a coffee via Ko-Fi If you've loved this episode as much as we have please do share it on social media and tag us in your post. And we always love to hear what you think so please rate and review on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Thanks for listening! Hannah & the Psykhe Podcast team x --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/psykhe/message

In this HCI Podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanhwestover/) talks with Madelaine Claire Weiss about Not just What, Why, How, and with Whom — but WHERE We Work Too. See the video here: https://youtu.be/CZZPiGjVgZc. Madelaine Claire Weiss (LICSW, MBA, BCC) (https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelaineweiss/) is a Harvard trained Licensed Psychotherapist, Mindset Expert, and Board-Certified Executive, Career, Life Coach who helps people master their minds so they can maintain and enjoy satisfaction and success in all areas of their lives. She is a co-author in the Handbook of Stressful Transitions Across the Lifespan, and author of the new release “Getting to G.R.E.A.T. 5-Step Strategy for Work and Life.”  Madelaine is a former group mental health practice administrative director, a corporate chief organizational development officer, and associate director of the Anatomical Gift Program at Harvard Medical School where she spoke before the Joint Committee on the Status of Women. As a corporate trainer, Madelaine designed and delivered programs for such diverse organizations as Harvard Medical School, Legal Services Corporation, and AARP.  She has been featured on NBC, Bold TV, FOX TV, appears frequently as a podcast guest expert including Major, Lindsey, & Africa's Erasing the Stigma; has written for Thrive Global, Authority Magazine's Editors List, UpJourney, My Perfect Financial Advisor; and conducted webinars for such organizations as the American Bar Association and Harvard Law School Association-MA. Madelaine is a chapter co-author in the Handbook of Stressful Transitions Across the Lifespan. Check out Dr. Westover's new book, The Alchemy of Truly Remarkable Leadership, here: https://www.innovativehumancapital.com/leadershipalchemy.  Check out the latest issue of the Human Capital Leadership magazine, here: https://www.innovativehumancapital.com/hci-magazine.  Ranked in the Top 10 Performance Management Podcasts: https://blog.feedspot.com/performance_management_podcasts/ ; Ranked in the Top 10 Workplace Podcasts: https://blog.feedspot.com/workplace_podcasts/ ; Ranked in the Top 15 HR Podcasts: https://blog.feedspot.com/hr_podcasts/ ; Ranked in the Top 15 Talent Management Podcasts: https://blog.feedspot.com/talent_management_podcasts/ ; Ranked in the Top 15 Personal Development and Self-Improvement Podcasts: https://blog.feedspot.com/personal_development_podcasts/ ; Ranked in the Top 30 Leadership Podcasts: https://blog.feedspot.com/leadership_podcasts/

CHRIS NEWBOLD: Hello, well-being friends and welcome to the Path to Well-Being in Law podcast, an initiative of the Institute for Well-Being in Law. I'm your cohost CHRIS:, Executive Vice President of ALPS Malpractice Insurance. And again, most of, I think, our listeners know what our goal is but let me reiterate that we love bringing on to the podcast thought leaders in the well-being space doing meaningful work to advance the profession and to in the process build and nurture a national network of well-being advocates intent on creating a culture shift within the profession. CHRIS: Let me introduce my cohost Bree Buchanan. Bree, how are you doing? And how has your summer been? BREE BUCHANAN: Hey Chris, it has been wonderful. I get to be here in Eugene, Oregon so it's just beautiful and getting to do a lot of fun things. I'm really blessed with that. And I just wanted to say, Chris, you're talking about thought leaders and as regards to our guest today, Jen really is, she's not only a thought leader in this space but she's also a teacher of future thought leaders. So we're really glad that we got Jen with us today. CHRIS: Yeah. We got a great guest today. And we are in the midst right now of spending a three-part miniseries within the podcast of really looking in terms of what's going on in the law schools. We know that they are training the next generation in our profession and we know that these issues are becoming much more acutely aware in the environment. We started off our law school series with Linda Sugin from Fordham Law School and we will be followed in our next podcast by Janet Stearns who comes to us from the Miami School of Law. CHRIS: But today's about Penn Law and introducing our, we're really excited to have Jennifer Leonard join us on the podcast. Bree, will you do the honors of introducing Jen. BREE: I'd be delighted. So Jen Leonard is Penn Law's, get this title, I love this, Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Director of the Future of the Profession Initiative. Jen's work at Penn Law focuses on developing a deep understanding of what legal professionals need to be successful in the face of constant transformation. Isn't that true? Working with a collaborative group of colleagues across the law school in the profession, Jen designs ways to educate new law students about changes in the profession and the skills they need to thrive in the future. BREE: Before assuming her current role, she served as Associate Dean for Professional Engagement and Director of the Center of Professionalism at Penn Law. And prior to that, she was Chief of Staff to the City Solicitor of Philadelphia and a Litigation Associate with a Center City law firm, and a Judicial Law Clerk. And then Jen went home when she went to work at Penn Law because she's a graduate from there in 2004 from the law school and Penn State University with high honors. Jen's also a frequent writer and speaker on the issues that include lawyer and law student well-being. So Jen, thank you for being here today and welcome. JENNIFER LEONARD: Wow. Thank you so much, Chris and Bree. I'm so excited to be here. And thank you for that lovely introduction. BREE: You bet. So Jen, one of the things we always ask our guests because it provides such interesting information and background and insight into the people that we have with us, tell us what brought you into the lawyer/law student well-being movement. The people that work in this space and really care about it, they have a passion for the work. And typically, there's something that's driving that. So tell us a little bit about that, what that means for you. JENNIFER: Yeah. First of all, I'm so excited that there is an actual movement now around attorney well-being and law student well-being. BREE: Right. JENNIFER: That's an exciting development and a recent development, which I think many law students don't fully understand because they have arrived at law school at a time when the movement is accelerating and is growing which is fantastic. JENNIFER: I have first-hand experience being a law student who really struggled with well-being issues including depression and anxiety and also some of the really common things that law students experience, imposter syndrome, not fully understanding that I wasn't expected to know how to be a skilled attorney on day one. Most attorneys, hopefully, if they've had a really great practice will retire still growing and still learning new things. And I did not understand as a very confused and disoriented OneL that I was just at the beginning of a journey and I felt very isolated and very sort of inept in the environment and that was stunning to me because I had spent my whole life just absolutely loving school from being four years old and pretending to be a teacher in my basement with my friends all the way through graduating from college, it was just the place I felt most alive and most comfortable. JENNIFER: And law school was a completely different experience. I felt very uncomfortable from day one. My involvement in the well-being movement, I would say, is sort of an accident that followed from that experience which followed me into practice and I certainly experienced many of the challenges that the research shows around depression and anxiety in private practice. When I moved over to government work, because of the constraints of resources, you're just sort of thrown into the fire and forced to grow on your own. And that was actually really helpful for me for building confidence and learning that I actually had the capacity to do amazing things if I really gave myself the time to develop and the opportunity to develop. JENNIFER: So when I came to the law school in 2013 and started counseling law students, it was sort of a revelation to me as I sat across from younger versions of myself that they were saying to me the exact same things that I was saying in my own head as a OneL. And that was the first time even 10 years after law school that it occurred to me that I was not the only person who had this experience. And I really wanted to prevent future generations of law students from making the mistake and thinking they weren't capable and not allowing themselves to live up to their potential and contribute to society in the profession. JENNIFER: So I started building some programming, co curricular programming at first, and then programming that eventually became woven into our formal curriculum after the National Task Force report came out. And so I was just thrilled to see the movement grow over time and now to have part in leading some of those initiatives at the law school. CHRIS: Jen, today we're going to talk about the work of you and your colleagues at Penn Law. Let's set the stage a little bit. Tell us about Penn Law, your location, size, focus, types of students, and give us a flavor for the type of law school that you work within. JENNIFER: Well, I have the great pleasure of working at a phenomenal law school. The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School which is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We draw students from all over the world, approximately 250 incoming first-year JDs every year from all over the country and 115 LLM students from around the world who contribute just such a diversity and complexity of perspectives to our experience that we really are a global leader in legal education. And I'm excited to work at Penn as a broader university because its founder Benjamin Franklin really focused on two elements of education that I think are critical to our success. JENNIFER: One is a real focus on interdisciplinarity and learning across different disciplines about how to solve problems and that is a lot of what my work entails, building connections with our colleagues in innovation spaces across Penn's campus. And the second element is really bringing a blend of high-minded intellectual research and academic efforts in translating that work into things that can really have impact in the real world. And so it's the perfect place to be developing innovative projects including some of our work in the well-being space and seeing how that work translates in our profession. BREE: So speaking of innovation, I just think that you have the coolest job title I've ever seen. Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Director of the Future of the Profession Initiative. Tell us about that. How did all that come about? And tell us about that initiative. JENNIFER: Oh, thank you. I love my job. I do get to have the coolest title. And I think if I were to make a long story short, I think it's that I chirped enough about all the changes I'd love to see in legal education and in the profession that somebody finally gave me the opportunity to focus just on that. And the longer story is that our dean was really interested in thinking about all the changes happening in the legal profession and how a leading law school really has both an obligation and an opportunity to respond to that change so that our students are entering the profession prepared with the skills they need to thrive and to also lead the profession into the next phase of its existence. JENNIFER: So I had the chance to work with colleagues across the law school and then through our advisory board of alumni all across the profession to iterate and refine the vision for what ultimately became the future of the profession initiative, which I now have the great honor and privilege of leading. CHRIS: Tell me about the scope of that initiative. I'm just curious what you're looking at and what you're hoping to poke and prod around into. JENNIFER: Sure. We have three different buckets of projects that we work on. And I'm part of a day-to-day team of three people, two of my colleagues Jim Sandman who is President Emeritus of Legal Services Corporation and now's our senior consultant and Miguel Willis who is the Executive Director of Access to Justice Tech Fellows which is now formally affiliated with FPI. And Jim, Miguel, and I and our colleagues work on developing new curricular and co curricular offerings that are responsive to the changing conditions in the legal profession. So Jim teaches courses on leadership in law, Miguel and our advisory board member Claudia Johnson teaches courses on law, technology, and access to justice, I teach courses on user center design for the better delivery of legal services. JENNIFER: And so we focus on teaching students about the skills that they need to respond to future conditions. We also focus on leading conversations across the profession of leaders who are doing really interesting things in legal. And those conversations take the form of a podcast, the Law 2030 podcast, a monthly newsletter where we bring in voices not only from the legal profession but from across Penn's campus, across other fields to help us navigate change, to teach us what they're doing in their respective environments that we can draw lessons from. And then finally, we're building out projects for impact, things that we can do from the unique position of being a research university that can have real-world impact. So Jim is working on a variety of projects related to regulatory reform, finding new ways to connect people with legal systems. Jim's focused also on court simplification and form simplification so that it's easier for individuals and small businesses to access the legal profession. JENNIFER: So we teach, we lead conversations and we do it all within the goal of transforming the way we deliver legal services to our clients. CHRIS: That sounds like pretty cool work. JENNIFER: It's so much fun- BREE: I know. JENNIFER: And really, really engaging and worthwhile and so lucky to do it. BREE: I just think you must be so excited to go to work every day. JENNIFER: Totally. CHRIS: Anyone who gets to put the word future in their job description, I think that's pretty fun to be able to look out at. JENNIFER: Oh, it's so fun. CHRIS: So Jen, you've been back now at Penn Law I think in a professional capacity for about eight years. Let's talk a little bit about what you're seeing in the law school environment. Share with our listeners some of the well-being issues you've seen coming out of the student body, issues that students are facing. And how have those issues affected their law school and, in many cases, their post law school experience? JENNIFER: Yeah. So I think, again, to draw from my own experience both as a law student who struggled with these issues and also as somebody who had the chance to counsel students in a career counseling capacity early on in my time at the law school, I would say the biggest thing that I saw and see among students is the idea of imposter syndrome. When you are in an environment where you're surrounded by really talented people who come from all different backgrounds, all different educational degrees, you look around and you think, "How can I be here with all of these smart people around me?" And then you have the opportunity to engage in Socratic dialogue with learned professors and legal scholars at the top of their fields. JENNIFER: And I found it to be, and in my experience talking with first-year law students, some of them also find it to be very overwhelming. And I think that helping them adopt a mindset, a learner's mindset, that you are here because you deserve to be here is a rigorous process for admission. And our admission's office doesn't make mistakes. You should be here. And you are here at the very beginning of what will be a very long journey where you will grow a significant amount over the course of your life. So expecting yourself to understand the complexities of law in the first couple months, I think, is unrealistic. And so helping students understand that all lawyers have been in their shoes, that the people around them who seem the most confident are frequently the ones who are struggling the most and sometimes that manifests as overconfidence or projection of overconfidence which can feed into that imposter syndrome. JENNIFER: And I think just helping students adopt a growth mindset that will allow them to, I don't like to use the word fail, I like to use the word learn, learn from missteps, learn from early misunderstandings of the law, learn even in their Socratic dialogue which was particularly challenging for me. I'm introverted by nature. And I viewed everything as a judgment on me and if I wasn't doing it perfectly, that meant I wasn't capable of doing it. And so supporting students in understanding that they are in a developmental process that is rigorous and at the end will benefit them tremendously if they can adopt that learner's mindset. BREE: I just love how you framed that and that must be so incredibly helpful for the students that you talk to. I definitely dealt with imposter syndrome. I know that a lot of people have but I didn't have the language for it. Do you talk to the students about, do you name it? Do you tell them what imposter syndrome is? JENNIFER: Yeah. I would say most students now coming in are familiar with it from their undergrad work or other graduate work, which is fantastic. As you know, Bree, there was no language when we were in law school for imposter syndrome. It didn't even exist. So we're already starting at a more advanced point. And also the concept of growth mindset is something that people are learning about at a younger and younger age. My kids are in daycare and kindergarten and are already learning about growth mindset. So in 20 years, we'll be admitting people to law school who either they don't need to learn learner's mindset and they don't need to learn the importance of growth mindset. We will be much more ahead of the game. JENNIFER: Now, I think we're in this exciting chapter where we're finally opening up the conversation and naming the issues as you're saying. And students are much more comfortable, I think, than our generation was at being open about the challenges, which is really, really not only helpful for advancing the conversation but helpful for your own mental health to be engaged with other people who are experiencing the same thing. CHRIS: Talk to us about some of the well-being initiatives that make you most proud. You've obviously put a lot of time and attention into creating a culture where people's issues are respected and there's vulnerability and empathy. Talk to us about what are some of the things that you are most proud of in terms of what it does and some of the things that you've been doing. JENNIFER: It's funny, Chris, because I will talk about the thing that we've done that I'm most proud of and on behalf of my colleagues because these are really collaborative efforts across the law school, not just from FPI. But also, what I'm most excited about for the future, but I would say that I'm most proud of our leadership at our school led by our dean really embracing the recommendations of the National Task Force report and developing the opportunity to come into all of our upper level professional responsibility courses which are the only courses that are required after the first year of law school. So it's the only course where we will reach every student before they graduate outside of what is a very challenging and jampacked first year curriculum and talk to the students about these issues and talk to them about what the task force revealed, the current state of the research, some of the potential causes for the challenges we see in the legal profession, why those challenges relate to the provision of legal services. JENNIFER: One thing that I've learned in doing this programming over the years to the great credit of the students is sometimes they don't want to focus as much on these issues just for their own benefit. And even though there are great benefits to doing that, what they really want to know is what does this have to do with being a lawyer? How does this impact my lawyering and my clients? And our solution to that was really to talk to them about exactly that. How does this impact the provision of service to your clients? How can you give the best legal counsel you're capable of if you're not well? How are the ways that we can elevate our well-being? And bringing in experts, I am not a mental health expert, I have the experience of being somebody who was challenged with these issues, but we bring in voices from the mental health community who are trained professionals to talk with the students about some of the challenges that professionals face. JENNIFER: And so I have been the most proud to work with my colleague John Hollway as well to deliver those lessons and guide those discussions in our professional responsibility courses. I'll also say that I was most excited, our dean offered the opportunity to all of the faculty who teach professional responsibility in the upper levels, this is not a mandate by any stretch of the imagination, it was just a chance for them to do it if they wanted. Every single professional responsibility faculty member welcomed us in, has repeatedly welcomed us to come back, and they were really excited to see the law school doing this. So that is what I would say I'm most proud of to date, and again, with my colleagues developing this. JENNIFER: What I'm most proud of in the future is moving into the next phase of that conversation and having a more unified discussion between law schools and legal employers and law firms so that we're not having one conversation at the law school level and helping students develop responsive coping behaviors to respond to stress that work in a law school environment but maybe don't work in practice to thinking about the environments and the systems within which we practice and seeing how we can transform those environments so that it's a shared responsibility between schools and employers and individual students and lawyers to really lift all boats and be sure that we can practice at the highest level. So that is the next phase of our work and we're actively thinking about how we can do that in the best possible way. CHRIS: Yeah. There's no doubt that the work that you are doing and, again, lots of folks in law schools are doing, if we prepare them for a profession that ultimately is very different than what we just did to create those senses of what practicing law's going to be like and if it's very different there's going to be a disconnect, as you mentioned. JENNIFER: Exactly. And we want to teach them skills that they're able to deploy over their entire career, not just skills that will work for the next year or two. How can we bring in more collaborative partners from practice so that we're bridging that gap, bridging that divide more? And how are we thinking about redeveloping systems so that people can have more balance in their life and really be healthier, happier lawyers who are better serving their clients? CHRIS: Yeah. JENNIFER: It's a huge task but one that- CHRIS: It is a huge task and maybe we can come back and touch on this coming back from the break. It feels like to be able to do that, you're going to have to bring those thought leaders in the legal environments into the law school though, almost have them go through their own reflection points about how they think about culture and how they value the attorneys within the firm from a well-being perspective. JENNIFER: And I think that's where we have the real ability to do that is our convening ability and we can do that and we can also bring in our colleagues from Penn Medicine and Penn Engineering. And what are their students and professionals experiencing? And then some of our psychology partners across campus to come in and talk about the complex interplay among professional satisfaction, finance, and some of these mental health conditions that elite professionals experience and how can we work together to come up with some new solutions to the problems. And I think that a law school is the perfect place to do that. CHRIS: Yeah. JENNIFER: And I would love to involve the students because I think that they would be really interested in having the conversation as well and having some agency and some involvement in driving that change. BREE: No doubt. CHRIS: Yeah. So let's take a quick break here because, again, I think we're getting into the meat and potatoes, so to speak, of what you're working to do and why it's going to be, I think, so important in terms of the future of our professionals. Let's take a short break. JENNIFER: Sounds great.   — Advertisement: Meet Vera, your firm's virtual ethics risk assessment guide developed by ALPS. Vera's purpose is to help you uncover risk management blind spots from client intake to calendaring to cyber security and more. Vera: I require only your honest input to my short series of questions. I will offer you a summary of recommendations to provide course corrections if needed and to keep your firm on the right path.   Generous and discreet, Vera is a free and anonymous risk management guide from ALPS to help firms like yours be their best. Visit Vera at https://www.alpsinsurance.com/vera. — BREE: So welcome back, everybody. And we have with us today Jen Leonard who is one of the, I'll say, one of the leading thought leaders around well-being for law students. She is joining us today from Penn Law. And continue in the conversation, Jenn, I think what I'd really like for us to talk about now is focus in on what advice you can give to our listeners out there who are with a law school who are thinking about how to implement some programs, maybe something you've mentioned, something that they have decided they want to pursue on their own. And one of the biggest things within a large school is to get buy in from leadership and I heard you say earlier on that you do have buy in from your top leadership. How did that happen with the administration? And how did you get buy in from the faculty? JENNIFER: So amazing question. Yes. I would say the biggest driver of our success is really the leadership of our dean who is very interested in these topics and interested in supporting our students in developing into the best attorneys they can be. And I can't overstate how much that matters. Our faculty, I would say, are similarly supportive and the culture at our school is, we joke that people talk about it as a collegial culture all the time, but it really is this Quaker-based culture of collegiality and collaboration. So I feel very, very fortunate and maybe uniquely situated as compared with some of your listeners who might be trying to build these programs at other schools. JENNIFER: But what I would say is even if you don't have those conditions, I would not be discouraged. What I would do is I would be strategic. If you want to start well-being initiatives at your own law school, I would say start small and find the people who will be the cheerleaders for you who have voices that people will listen to. One group of voices that are really compelling to faculty and administrators alike are students. So if you have students coming to you who are interested in these topics, and as I said, I think students coming into law school now are so much more well-versed in these issues from their undergrad and other experiences that the movement is growing even among students. So being able to channel those voices and respond to them as an administration is really important. If you can find a faculty member who is really interested or who has had experience with students in their classes who have been challenged around some of these issues and would like to help you build a program, that's fantastic. JENNIFER: But you can build co curricular offerings, I would say that's the best way to start is to offer programs, maybe a brown bag lunch from students at lunchtime, bring in some alumni who are interested in this. I find in my experience that alumni who are practicing law and who are experiencing the stresses of practicing law are really, really interested in reaching back and supporting new law students and they're also really well-respected among the student body. And it also doesn't cost a lot of money usually to bring in an alum to have lunch with students and especially now that we do so many things on Zoom, have some of your alumni Zoom in and talk about things they wish they'd known when they were law students and how they've grown over time. As I said, it doesn't have to be expensive. But if you start small and you're willing to learn and you're willing to get feedback from students on how to improve and iterate the programming over time, then you can start building from there. CHRIS: Jen, it feels like what you're also inferring, correct me if I'm misstating it, is that you are in your effort to nurture the culture within the law school itself, there certainly is a student centric approach to that and just trying to understand where they're at, why they're there, again, how we can assist them on the journey, not just from a law knowledge perspective but also the mental approach to preparing them to become a lawyer down the road? JENNIFER: That's absolutely right. And I love that you say a student centric approach. In our sort of general innovation programming outside of well-being, we're really focused on human centered design. So if you apply that lens to the law student experience, what are we as administrators providing to our students and what is that provision of education and experience like from their perspective? And the way to do that is to really have conversations with student groups, maybe you have a student group in your building that you don't even know about that is focused on well-being. We have a wellness committee of students who are interested in these topics, so meeting with them and learning about what they would find really helpful and building support from there, I would say. Bringing the student voice in is critical though. CHRIS: Yeah. And I know, again, I graduated from a law school class that had 75 students which is significantly less than your incoming classes. And it certainly feels like the faster that you create communities of students together or feeling that you can find people that you can relate to within the law school environment, the more that you got people that just feel more comfortable, avoid the imposter syndrome, and then hopefully we're preparing them for an opportunity to prosper as they go through the law school journey. JENNIFER: That's right. And I think also one other tip could be maybe if you feel that the environment's not receptive to well-being programming or you're having trouble gaining traction, there are programs that you can create that are not explicitly well-being programs but that have the corollary benefit of creating enhanced well-being in your institution. And those programs can be about team building and collaboration and legal practice skills and how those interpersonal impact skills are really being deployed in practice. And they have the benefit of building community among the students, as my colleague John talks about it. He talks about it like fluoride in the water, that you don't really know that it's there but in the end it has the impact of building a healthier environment around you. BREE: Let's talk about getting to the nitty gritty, which is the cost of some of these programs which could be another barrier for somebody to implement. What is, I guess, the fiscal impact of the programs that you put together? And do you have any suggestions for people about that? JENNIFER: I would say that most of the programming we have done costs virtually nothing to do aside from maybe the cost of providing lunch, if you're providing lunch to your students. Having alumni come in and do a panel discussion about some of these issues, if you're at a law school that's connected with a broader university that has a counseling and psychological services group where you can have trained mental health professionals come in and have a conversation with students will cost nothing. Even the professional responsibility module we built out costs nothing to do, other than the energy investment in building the program and engaging our professors and getting their buy in. It is a lot of sweat equity that you will put into these programs but the actual cost of running them is minimal, I would say. JENNIFER: So I would say no matter what your law school's budget is, not to be deterred around having these conversations of building a community that is supportive of them. CHRIS: Bree knows that one of the, I sit in a management role at an insurance company, so we're always data geeks about trying to figure out how do we measure success. And again, the well-being space is such an interesting one in terms of how do you know that you're, so to speak, advancing the ball? How do you feel like you're making an impact in terms of, again, preparing students for the practice of law? And as you think about your work on a day-to-day basis, are there certain metrics that you look at or is it a little bit more instinctual and you just know that you're making an impact but in small and significant ways? JENNIFER: Yeah. I would say our return on investment are the qualitative reports that we have from students and alumni versus more hard data. We've certainly used research from other places to guide our efforts so some of the research that Sheldon and [Krieger 00:34:20] have done about the shift from intrinsic motivation to extrinsic motivation in the first year we fold into our conversations with students. But in terms of measuring outcomes, I think professional skill development is notoriously difficult to measure impact around but I talk with alumni who are five or six years now who seem to me to be very healthy and happy and thriving and really happy with their law school experience because of the community, and it's not because of the well-being programs in particular, but because of the community that we've been able to cultivate here and the support that we provide to our students. JENNIFER: And we take a tremendous amount of feedback and we have been careful about measuring the feedback from students in the PR modules and finding ways to pivot and iterate and adjust to student feedback. And one of the pieces of feedback that I referenced earlier or the place where we want to move next is thinking about these systems. So students are curious about how our environment's adapting to the research that people in the profession are doing around some of these challenges and how can we be a part of that as well. So it's more qualitative admittedly than quantitative but it's certainly I can feel a shift. I know that it's a different environment from when I was a student there and I can only say from the students to whom I have said, "You are not alone in this," those of us in the building have experienced this that the look of relief and sometimes surprise is really significant feedback to me. BREE: Yeah. Jen, just before we wrap up I just have to acknowledge the time we're in and the context of this podcast which is coming up on a year and a half in the pandemic. So can you talk a little bit about the impact of that on your student body and what you guys at Penn Law have done to address that? JENNIFER: So what I can talk about, Bree, is how we adapted the module that we present to the students and the professional responsibility course. We adapted it pretty significantly over the last year and a half in response to all of the things that happened in 2020, the pandemic, the dislocation, the disconnection in our communities, the social uprising around racial injustice across the globe, the political polarization that we're all experiencing. It's been a lot to process and then to sit and talk with law students about their well-being, the conversation had to be different than the conversation we were having with them in December of 2019. BREE: Absolutely. JENNIFER: Some of the adjustments that we made were bringing in more voices from our counseling and psychological services offices, particularly counselors that are trained on racial identity coming in to talk with students about the experience of being historically under represented person or group in a majority institution at a time when we're going through everything that we're going through. So we brought in that element to our conversations. JENNIFER: We also brought in junior alumni who are in practice to share some of their experiences on the ground, which was a response to student feedback that they really wanted to hear from our recent graduates about specifically some of the things that they're dealing with in practice and how they're responding to them. We talked a lot about toxic positivity. So there have been articles about the idea that telling people they should be adopting positive mindsets in the face of everything that's happening is not helpful and that it's okay right now not to feel okay. And I would say that our approach really was much more student led this year. We really wanted to hear from students how they were responding to the stressful conditions, what had been helpful to them, what were their anxieties and concerns, and then having a trained mental health professional in the room with us to respond to that, and also some people who were dealing with the issues in practice. It was a much more team-oriented approach I think to having these conversations. And I hope it was a more supportive experience for the students and gave them the opportunity to process some of the things they were dealing with. CHRIS: Jen, I want to ask maybe one more question. I have to imagine that as you've visualized where a student starts and where a student walks across the podium and receives that diploma is a journey in the law school. When you look at that journey, are you visualizing what does first year look like, what does second year look like, what does third year look like from a wellness perspective and how you're trying to nurture that as a complement to the curriculum? JENNIFER: Yeah. I think as the programming has evolved, we have definitely adjusted the programming to be more developmentally appropriate depending on the level of experience of the student. So to your point, there are very specific times during the first year of law school that are different in nature than the stressors that our second and third-year students face. So thinking about how stressful it is about a month in advance of your first set of law school exams and how are we helping students feel supported there versus when they're getting close to practice and we're having more contextualized conversations about the rigors of practice itself and some of the stressors that they face in client representation. And that was how we evolved into having a more upper level approach that is also combined with our still ongoing and fantastic professionalism program that is offered in the first year which is co curricular. JENNIFER: So we have been thoughtful about adjusting depending on where the student is. I would say another hallmark of our dean's leadership and our current approach to legal education is really taking a lifelong view of the formation of a lawyer. So you referenced the podium which is a perfect visual, Chris, for thinking about where you are at that point and what is to come and how we as a law school can continue to be your partner. And we've done alumni programming on attorney well-being that is a more advanced version of the PR module that we do and the reception to that is different because, of course, our alumni are actually in practice and have different contexts than our students have. And we have even deeper conversations with them about what it's like to be in practice and what some of the well-being challenges are there. JENNIFER: So we are definitely taking a, no pun intended, a graduated approach to the way that we talk with students about well-being. And I would also say too, I wanted to go back to the question about tips for people developing these programs in their schools. I would say too if the sense is or if you anticipate pushback being that it's too warm and fuzzy or it's diluting the rigor of the program, something to that effect. What I would say is that when I think about the way that we're supporting students, it should be a really intense physical workout. You don't want somebody who's leading a really rigorous exercise session to go easy on you because at the end you're not going to feel like you grew at all. What you do want is a coach to help you work through the really tough parts which is where the transformation happens and I think the analogy works for lawyer formation. JENNIFER: There are really, really tough parts where as a student I didn't feel that supported and I felt very alone. And I think I probably did not push through and grow in the way that I could have had I had a bit more coaching and get more support and that's how I think about the service that we're providing by implementing well-being programming along the way. CHRIS: Yeah. And I think it's interesting that the firms that are likely hiring your students are also now talking a little bit more about the wellness components associated with, in the talent acquisition process. And I'm wondering whether you're doing something similar. You're a highly-respected law school, whether your commitment to this particular issue of well-being and wellness of the student body as part of the experience is also coming into play as you think about the recruitment and the admissions process. JENNIFER: I haven't actively thought about how it would be appealing to applicants to law school. I think as a school, again, our collegial nature is our hallmark and what we think makes us a very strong community where ideally people would want to come and learn. But I think you're right in the sense that increasingly students and aspiring professionals are looking to be in environments where they can grow and learn and be tested and challenged but also supported and develop really strong connections along the way and feel great about what they're doing. And so to the extent that that is a secondary benefit, that's fantastic. I think savvy legal employers are thinking about how to better support their attorneys so that they are not losing that talent. JENNIFER: I think one of the really undesirable outcomes of our failure to pay attention to these issues for so long is the hemorrhaging of enormous amounts of talent from the profession. BREE: Absolutely. JENNIFER: And imagine what we can accomplish together if we just adjusted and had deeper conversations and develop new solutions so that we keep all that brilliant talent working to support the health of society. BREE: Wow. CHRIS: What a great way to end the podcast. I think that's exactly right and indicative, Jen, of again why we see you and your experience at Penn Law as being so much a part of, again, realizing the potential of our profession and how important it is that we focus on these particular areas. Any closing comments, Jen, before we close it out? JENNIFER: Thank you so much for having me on. And again, I really just want to give credit to the entire Penn Law community, alumni, students, colleagues, faculty, staff, administration. This is a team effort and I have the honor of being a spokesperson today but it is far from a solo mission. CHRIS: Well Jen, we certainly are very thankful and grateful for all of your contributions and, again, I think there's a lot of takeaways in your experience at Penn Law that I think can really have ... If our goal ultimately is to engineer a culture shift in the profession, it starts with individuals like you and we thank you so much for your work and your leadership. BREE: We have much to learn. JENNIFER: Thank you so much. BREE: Yeah. JENNIFER: Thank you both so much for what you do to drive this conversation and lead thoughts and conversations like this. So grateful. CHRIS: Yeah. That was Jennifer Leonard of Penn Law School. And again, we'll be back in a couple weeks with Janet Stearns of the Miami School of Law as we continue and close out our law school focus. Thanks for joining us and we'll see you in a couple weeks.

Alison Ottenbreit talks about the importance of owning her own journey as far as her health and her job go.  She also talks about the importance of letting her 9-year-old daughter own her own journey.  Alison has a PhD in social psychology and works for Legal Services Corporation.  She talks about the importance of their work and what she does for the company.  She also shares her experience with the Daniel Plan Challenge.  Her three main takeaways were:1) How much mindless eating she was doing beforehand2) How she started craving fruit instead of sweets after just a few days3) We don't always need to eat when we have the thought that we are hungry.  She also shares about her daughter's journey with gymnastics and the importance of letting Ruby own her own journey.  She said she has people around her who help her keep perspective, like Ruby's coach, and then she in turn can help Ruby navigate the high's and the low's and learn perseverance. Lastly, she shares that when she gets overwhelmed, there are three things that help her; sleep, positive self-talk and prayer.  We also discuss the new video-based Bible study by Priscilla Shirer called Elijah.  You can check that out here. 

In this HCI Podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanhwestover/) talks with Madelaine Claire Weiss about strategies for combatting workplace stress. See the video here: https://youtu.be/YxHbGISZEsw.  Madelaine Claire Weiss (LICSW, MBA, BCC) (https://madelaineweiss.com) is a Harvard trained Licensed Psychotherapist, Mindset Expert, and Board-Certified Executive, Career, Life Coach who helps people master their minds so they can maintain and enjoy satisfaction and success in all areas of their lives. She is a co-author in the Handbook of Stressful Transitions Across the Lifespan, and author of the new release  “Getting to G.R.E.A.T. 5-Step Strategy for Work and Life.” Madelaine is a former group mental health practice administrative director, a corporate chief organizational development officer, and associate director of the Anatomical Gift Program at Harvard Medical School where she spoke before the Joint Committee on the Status of Women. As a corporate trainer, Madelaine designed and delivered programs for such diverse organizations as Harvard Medical School, Legal Services Corporation, and AARP. She has been featured on NBC, Bold TV, FOX TV, appears frequently as a podcast guest expert including Major, Lindsey, & Africa's Erasing the Stigma; has written for Thrive Global, Authority Magazine's Editors List, UpJourney, My Perfect Financial Advisor; and conducted webinars for such organizations as the American Bar Association and Harvard Law School Association-MA. Madelaine is a chapter co-author in the Handbook of Stressful Transitions Across the Lifespan. Check out Dr. Westover's new book, The Alchemy of Truly Remarkable Leadership, here: https://www.innovativehumancapital.com/leadershipalchemy.  Check out the latest issue of the Human Capital Leadership magazine, here: https://www.innovativehumancapital.com/hci-magazine.  Ranked in the Top 10 Performance Management Podcasts: https://blog.feedspot.com/performance_management_podcasts/ ; Ranked in the Top 10 Workplace Podcasts: https://blog.feedspot.com/workplace_podcasts/ ; Ranked in the Top 15 HR Podcasts: https://blog.feedspot.com/hr_podcasts/ ; Ranked in the Top 15 Talent Management Podcasts: https://blog.feedspot.com/talent_management_podcasts/ ; Ranked in the Top 15 Personal Development and Self-Improvement Podcasts: https://blog.feedspot.com/personal_development_podcasts/ ; Ranked in the Top 30 Leadership Podcasts: https://blog.feedspot.com/leadership_podcasts/

In the United States, the gap between rich and poor is the largest it’s been in decades. Systemic issues within our institutions and legal systems serve to exacerbate conditions that make it nearly impossible to bridge that gap. In Episode 6: Economic Justice, we take a look at three early cases from our Community Services Department.The Honorable David Tatel and Allen Snyder, special counsel at the Children’s Law Center, join us to discuss a business boycott in Mississippi, which prompted an antitrust lawsuit that threatened the very existence of our client, the NAACP. In the second segment of the episode, Mr. Snyder and The Honorable John Ferren recall the critical role we played in preserving the federal Community Action Program – a centerpiece of President Johnson’s War on Poverty to empower local residents to address pressing needs in their own communities. Finally, Judges Ferren and Tatel remember undertaking the formidable task of getting the Legal Services Corporation up and running from scratch in just 90 days. Decades later, LSC remains a vital source of funding for nonprofit legal aid programs across the country.

Today’s Patreon-fueled shout-out comes from a patron who wants to say:“Vote. That's it. Just vote. Vote early. Take your friends to vote early. Vote in person. Vote early! Did I already mention that?” I think he did.  *There have been another 1,021 cases of COVID-19 reported by the Virginia Department of Health today, for a cumulative total of 121,615. There have been another 32 deaths recorded for a total of 2,612 to date. The statewide seven-day average for positive tests increased to 7.7 percent today, up from 7.4 percent yesterday. In the Thomas Jefferson Health District, there are another 15 cases and no new deaths reported today. The seven-day average for positive tests was not available at recording time. The University of Virginia reports another eight cases of COVID-19 today, with six of those being students. That brings the total number of cases since August 17 to 123, with 89 of those students. UVA returns for in-person classes a week from now, on September 8. (UVA COVID tracker)* With the pandemic entering its sixth month, thousands of Virginians face eviction as the economic slowdown has put so many out of work. Governor Ralph Northam announced yesterday a $4 million payment to the Legal Services Corporation of Virginia to hire more attorneys to represent those who will end up in court to challenge eviction notices. A moratorium on evictions expired on June 28 and was reinstated in August. That now runs out again on September 7. In the meantime, there are a lot of pending cases. “Ten thousand eviction cases were docketed in Virginia courts from mid-July to August,” Northam said. “The Virginia Poverty Law Center estimates some 230,000 eviction cases could be filed through the end of this year.” More than a million Virginians have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic began. The Northam administration has created a Rent and Mortgage Relief Program that has $50 million in funding, including $450,000 in the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. Still, many of the eviction cases will proceed, and Northam said hiring more attorneys can help affected households navigate the process.“Legal Aid makes a real difference if you’re facing eviction,” Northam said. “In fact, when Legal Aid attorneys represent people in eviction proceedings, 72 percent have successful outcomes.” The $4 million payment consists of a $2 million repayment from IKEA for unemployment benefits its employees received from the state when stores were shut down in the early days of the pandemic. The other half comes from the proceeds of taxes on skills machines in Virginia. For more on the state of evictions in the state of Virginia, read this August 31 article by Ned Oliver in the Virginia Mercury. *Local sales tax collections are up sharper this year in the communities that surround Albemarle and Charlottesville, but the city’s revenues have declined. That’s one conclusion drawn from the Free Enterprise Forum’s Retail Report for the second quarter of 2020. Forum President Neil Williamson and former Chamber of Commerce president Tim Hulbert analyzed data collected from each community and found that local sales tax revenues increased by 18.5 percent in Fluvanna, 18.5 percent in Greene and 24.3 percent in Louisa. Albemarle collected one percent more than in the second quarter of 2019, and Charlottesville’s sales tax collection was 11.6 percent less this year over last year. The report states that one factor is a reduction in people commuting to Charlottesville and spending money in their home communities. Another theory is that dramatically fewer people were in Charlottesville as a result of the closure of the University of Virginia in March. “As enterprises continue to pivot their business models to accommodate social distancing and other COVID-19 realities, we are hopeful that the economic rebound we see in some localities becomes a region wide trend,” Williamson and Hulbert write in the report, which also attributes some of the higher numbers to the recent Supreme Court decision mandating localities to receive sales tax from online purchases made within their jurisdiction. *In nine days, the Charlottesville Business Innovation Council (CBIC) will finally hold its annual awards gala, just three months after the pandemic caused the May event to be canceled. Each year, the CBIC gala honors tech companies and innovators in the community and this year’s event will be a little different. The gala will be held electronically but not on a regular Zoom call. Instead, participants will be seated at a virtual table and can interact and network with their seat mates. Heidi Tombs is the co-chair of the CBIC Gala. “We were looking for the virtual solution to put on this event,” said Heidi Tombs, co-chair of the CBIC Gala. “We were really looking to capture some elements of the gala that our attendees have given us great feedback about in the past and two of those essential elements are connecting with our local innovators through Innovators Row and being able to network, whether you are looking for your next job opportunity or looking for investors or just looking to connect with other people in your industry who can help you make your way.” Awards include Business of the Year, Partnership of the Year, and the Social Good Award. Review the finalists on the CBIC Gala website. This year’s event is open to admission on a pay as you can basis. The event takes place on September 10 beginning at 5 p.m. *There are three meetings of note coming up today that might be of interest. The first is the Albemarle Board of Zoning Appeals, which has a routine public hearing on a sign for three new buildings coming to Pantops at the corner of U.S. 250 and Route 20. As a reminder, these are a Wawa, a self storage unit, and a 122-room hotel. (meeting info) Next, the Albemarle Planning Commission will have a work session on Crozet’s future land use map,  and specifically a discussion about what is known as “middle missing” housing. That refers to structures with multiple residential units, such as duplexes, fourplexes and other forms. “They are referred to as “missing” because they have typically been prohibited from being constructed by zoning ordinances across the United States and are typically a more affordable option than single-family homes due to the cost of land,” reads a handout that county staff made for participants in the on-going Crozet Master Plan update. Finally, Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker will join Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney on a new episode of Charlottesville 360, the city’s in-house talk show. This conversation begins at 5:30 p.m. (details)A couple of corrections. Yesterday the newsletter reported the incorrect daily figure of new COVID cases for Virginia. The correct number was 847.  In addition, in the Week Ahead newsletter I stated that a planned unit development project had already been approved, when in fact the item has not yet been scheduled for a public hearing with the Planning Commission and City Council. These items will be corrected in the archive. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Meet the legal professionals changing lives—helping veterans, survivors, foster youth, and more. Talk Justice, from Legal Services Corporation, highlights their groundbreaking efforts to expand access to justice. Subscribe for new episodes every other Tuesday!

Instant Attorney grew out of our founder's frustration trying to track down all of the innovative legal solutions being developed for consumers and small and medium-sized businesses. There were already thousands of Price Forward legal solutions out there. Yet there wasn't a marketplace for clients to find, compare, and review them. Instant Attorney solves the problem of identify and compiling the myriad of legal apps, books, forms, and services that emerge nearly daily by creating a wiki-powered platform that can be updated by Partners and searched by users so they can find a product or service best suited for their legal needs. Some of the resources listed are paid and some of the resources listed are free, but every resource that meets our quality standards can be listed on Instant Attorney free of charge. Founder, Everett Pompeii, a software engineer by day and legaltech founder by night and weekend, approached Nick Rishwain at the Legal Services Corporation, Innovations and Technology Conference, wearing his company colors. That was all it took for Nick to invite him on the show. The neon-orange hoodie definitely stood out at the conference. Listen to this episode and get a feeling for what Everett thought was missing in the access to justice space and the problem he's decided to solve with his collaborative content management system (CMS). Nick is joined by first time co-host, and good friend, Erin Levine of Hello Divorce. You'll see in this episode that a litigator always has the last word, but also asks some amazing questions!   More about Everett Pompeii: Everett Pompeii on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epompeii/.   InstantAttorney on Twitter: https://twitter.com/instantattorney.   InstantAttorney Website: https://myinstantattorney.com/.   More about Erin Levine: Erin Levine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinlevine/.   Erin Levine on Twitter: https://twitter.com/hellodivorce.   Hello Divorce on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellodivorce/.   Hello Divorce Website: https://hellodivorce.com/.   More episodes available on: https://legaltechlive.com/.

Top stories this week include sweeping proposed liberalization of lawyer regulation, a watershed Supreme Court victory for open-law advocates, a national COVID-19 pro bono portal born out of a unique collaboration among the ABA and legaltech companies, and the first public statements by Epiq Global’s CEO on its ransomware attack and layoffs. Our guest this week is Mark C. Palmer, chief counsel of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism.  Story Sources (hyperlinks available at www.lawsitesblog.com/category/legaltech-week) Utah regulatory reforms (0:35): Utah Proposes Sweeping Regulatory Reforms; Will Fast-Track Pandemic-Related Services. Utah Supreme Court. Supreme Court Regulatory Reform Proposal-Comment Period Closes July 23, 2020. Supreme Court opinion (2:51): In Key Ruling for Public Access, SCOTUS Says No Copyright In Georgia Code Annotations. Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, Inc. Public.Resource.Org. Pro bono portal (4:04):  Tech Companies, ABA, Partner to Launch National Pro Bono Portal Targeting COVID-19 and Disaster Relief. Disaster Relief Pro Bono Portal. ABA YLD Disaster Legal Services Program. Paladin. Clio. LegalZoom. Legal Services Corporation. Epiq Global (5:55): In Interview, Epiq CEO Addresses Ransomware Attack, Layoffs, and Company’s Future. Guest commentary (7:35): Mark C. Palmer. Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism.

As Chair of the American Bar Association’s Coronavirus Task Force, Jim Sandman has a birds-eye view of COVID-19’s impact on the legal industry. In his interview with Jack Newton, Jim paints a picture of what’s happening in legal, and what law firms should be focusing on in terms of reducing overhead, serving clients remotely, and how to mitigate the impacts of this crisis on firm staff. In Jim’s words: “I think that good will come of this. I think that lawyers will be more effective practitioners in the service of their clients. I think our society will ultimately be better off because of this experience that we’re sharing.”

An interview with Jim Sandman L'76, President Emeritus of Legal Services Corporation and Leader of the ABA COVID 19 Legal Services Taskforce. In this discussion, Jim will share: * the charges of the new ABA Task Force on COVID 19 Legal Services * the target deliverables the group will pursue * the composition and areas of expertise of task force members * the most prominent needs surfacing during the crisis * some optimistic thoughts about how COVID 19 could lead to better understanding of the access to justice crisis and the need for more innovation in legal services

CNN, C-Span ~ It's the 55th Anniversary of the "Bloody Sunday" March of Selma to Montgomery, Alabama & the 28th of the Yearly Remembrance of Jubilee ~ The Week Long Celebration & Workshops highlight the various parts that made the Civil Rights Movement of the 60's a Success! On Sunday will be the annual March Across the Edmund Pettis Bridge. The music for this episode is from: "Sing for Freedom The Songs of the Civil Rights Movement Through it's Songs" by Robert Parris Moses Have far have we come from those times of the Segregated South? My guest this week talks about this & MORE...... FYI: Activist Jimmie Lee Jackson murder on February 26th 1965 sparked the March across the Edmund Pettis Bridge. There were THREE Marches across The Bridge BECAUSE the First on March on March 7, 1965, resulted in Violence against the Marchers; The Second March on Tuesday, March 9, 1965. Martin Luther King led the March & prayed at the beginning of the Bridge. The last March was held March 17 with permits & saftey, The Marchers crossed the Bridge. ​ Senator Henry “Hank” Sanders is the second of 13 children born to Ola Mae and Sam Sanders of Baldwin County, Alabama. He challenged the twin obstacles of poverty and racism to: graduate from Douglasville High School, Talladega College, and Harvard Law School; establish a law practice; and serve as the first African American State Senator from the Alabama Black Belt. He is married to Faya Ora Rose Touré, formerly Rose M. Sanders, and they have three children by birth, four by foster relationship, and many by heart. In 1971, Sanders began what became Chestnut, Sanders, Sanders, Pettaway and Campbell, LLC. At one time, it was the largest Black law firm in Alabama and one of the ten largest in the country. His law practice is one of service: helping poor and Black people save their lands, protecting people’s constitutional rights, challenging corporate abuse, and helping build strong governments to serve all people. He served as one of three lead counsel in the nationally known $1.2 billion Black Farmers Discrimination Litigation. As a community person, Sanders has helped found and build many organizations and institutions, including the following: Alabama New South Coalition, where he currently is President Emeritus; 21st Century Youth Leadership Movement; Alabama Lawyers Association; Black Belt Human Resources Center; McRae Learning Center; the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute; the Slavery and Civil War Museum; C.A.R.E. (Coalition of Alabamians Reforming Education); the Selma Collaborative; the Bridge Crossing Jubilee; WBMZ-105.3 FM Radio Station; and more. In 1983, Sanders was elected to the Alabama Senate, where he champions issues affecting education, children, health care, women, tax reform, constitutional reform and more. For 16 years, he served as Chairman of the Finance and Taxation Education, which handles the multi-billion dollar state education budget. As part of his accountability, Sanders writes a weekly column entitled Senate Sketches, which is published in various newspapers, on the Internet, and in other publications. He has a self-published book entitled, Take a Walk in My Shoes, which is a compilation of selected Sketches. In 2004, he published his first novel, Death of a Fat Man. He speaks widely, especially to young people. His hobbies are reading, writing, and sports. He considers his most significant contribution to be his work with and for our youth. Hank's Wife: Faya Rose Toure ​ Faya Ora Rose Touré is a Harvard-educated Civil Rights activist and litigation attorney who has worked on some of the highest-profile civil rights cases to come before the courts. Touré—who spent most of her career as Rose Sanders until she decided to step away from her "slave name" in 2003—was the first African-American female judge in Alabama and was part of the winning legal team in Pigford vs. Veneman, the largest civil rights case in history. This case led to the payment of a billion dollars in damages to black farmers by the U. S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, Touré is a founder of the National Voting Rights Museum, McRae Learning Center, Ancient Africa, Slavery and Civil War Museum, the Bridge Crossing Jubilee, 21st Century Youth Leadership Movement, Black Belt Arts and Cultural Center and Chestnut, Sanders, Sanders, Law Firm, LLC. Intensely passionate about her activism and legal work and the needs of the black community, Touré has founded learning and cultural centers, political and legal organizations, and community initiatives that have benefited Alabamians for four decades. She uses her many talents to further her message and is a prolific songwriter and playwright, as well as the host of a weekly radio show, Faya's Fire. Touré was born Rose M. Gaines on May 20, 1945, in Salisbury, North Carolina. Her parents, the Rev. D. A. Gaines and Ora Lee Gaines, taught their six children to conserve so they would have something in life to give back to their community. Touré's community work began at an early age when she organized kids in the neighborhood. After graduation from George Clem High School in 1962 she entered Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1966. Still unsure where her career path would take her, she completed a law degree at Harvard in 1969 and was awarded the Herbert Smith Fellowship. That led to an assignment the following year at the National Welfare Rights Organization and the Columbia Center on Social Welfare Policy and Law. In 1971 she worked briefly for the Legal Services Corporation, and opened the law firm of Chestnut, Sanders, Sanders, Pettaway & Campbell, LLC the following year along with her husband, Alabama State Senator Henry Sanders. In 1973 Touré became the first African-American female judge in Alabama, serving as municipal judge until 1977. In 1982 Touré was hired by the Emergency Land Fund for the Department of the Agriculture to conduct a study of black land tenure and document land loss by African Americans. Touré, the mother of three children and four foster children, has dedicated her life to helping children. She was a leader in the Selma Movement to end racial tracking, co-founding Coalition of Alabamians Reforming Education. C.A.R.E. detracked a rural school in Sumter County, which resulted in test scores in Math and Science rising from the 27th percentile to the 74th percentile in a year and a half. She has also written over 40 musicals that address issues like tracking, teenage pregnancy, AIDS, drug abuse, etc. Her latest production is called Selma the Musical. © 2020 Building Abundant Success!! 2020 All Rights Reserved Join Me on ~ iHeart Radio @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBAS Join Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23ba Join Me on Facebook @ Facebook.com/BuildingAbundantSuccess ​

In the legal industry, the concept of design thinking has become synonymous with the name Margaret Hagan. Director of the Legal Design Lab at Stanford Law School’s Center on the Legal Profession, she is also a lecturer at the Stanford d.school, a ubiquitous speaker at legal conferences worldwide, and a leading advocate for making the law more accessible. After graduating from Stanford Law in 2013, she became a fellow at the d.school, where she launched the Program for Legal Tech & Design, experimenting in how design can make legal services more usable, useful and engaging. She also started the blog Open Law Lab to document legal innovation and design work.  Now, she teaches a series of project-based classes, with interdisciplinary student groups tackling legal challenges through user-focused research and design of new legal products and services. She also leads workshops to train legal professionals in the design process, to produce client-focused innovation. During the past year, Hagan has played a leading role in helping Utah launch an ambitious experiment in legal regulatory reform.   At the recent Innovations in Technology Conference presented by the Legal Services Corporation, Hagan sat down with LawNext host Bob Ambrogi to record a live conversation  about design thinking in law and how it can enhance access to justice. NEW: Comment on this show: Record a voice comment on your mobile phone and send it to info@lawnext.com. We are now on Patreon! Subscribe to our page to be able to access show transcripts, or to submit a question for our guests. Thank you to Agile Attorney Consulting for supporting our show, and to our sponsor, MyCase.

In multiple ways, Stacy Butler is immersed in seeking to innovate the justice system and the delivery of legal services.  As director of the Innovation for Justice program at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, she leads students in thinking critically about the power of technology and innovation to close the justice gap. As president of the board of Step Up To Justice, she is helping to rethink the provision of free legal services. As a member of the Arizona Task Force on the Delivery of Legal Services, she is helping to reshape the regulatory rules that inhibit innovation. Among the projects she has helped spearhead are a new tier of civil legal professional in Arizona, a free tool for helping tenants and landlords communicate, a toolkit for advocates of human trafficking survivors, and an ambitious tenant-education program to reduce evictions. She has 20 years of experience in community advocacy work related to pro bono legal services, and was named three times as one of the Top 50 Pro Bono Attorneys in Arizona. At the recent Innovations in Technology Conference presented by the Legal Services Corporation, LawNext host Bob Ambrogi sat down with Butler for a face-to-face conversation about her work and her broader thoughts regarding innovation in legal services.  NEW: We are now on Patreon! Subscribe to our page to be able to access show transcripts, or to submit a question for our guests. Comment on this show: Record a voice comment on your mobile phone and send it to info@lawnext.com.

Jim Sandman may be one of the most impassioned advocates in the United States for ensuring access to justice for all. As president of the Legal Services Corporation since 2011, he oversees an organization that funds free civil legal services to more than 130 legal aid programs throughout the country. As a frequent speaker and advocate, he forcefully makes the case for equal access to justice.  In this episode of LawNext, Sandman joins host Bob Ambrogi for a frank and thoughtful discussion about the justice gap in the U.S. and his ideas for how to bridge it, from increasing funding for legal aid to loosening restrictions on legal practice. They also discuss the role of technology and the 2013 report that Sandman spearheaded, Report of The Summit on the Use of Technology to Expand Access to Justice.  Before joining the LSC, Sandman spent 30 years as a lawyer with the firm Arnold & Porter, including 10 years as the firm’s managing partner. Wanting to spend more time in public service, he became general counsel for the District of Columbia Public Schools, where he stayed until the opportunity arose to join the LSC. He is a past president of the 100,000-member District of Columbia Bar.  NEW: We are now on Patreon! Subscribe to our page to be able to access show transcripts, or to submit a question for our guests. Comment on this show: Record a voice comment on your mobile phone and send it to info@lawnext.com.

Evan Smith is a public interest attorney and the Director of Advocacy for AppalReD, a nonprofit that gives free legal services in rural Appalachia. We spoke about what it’s like to work in rural America, the legal issues people face in that part of the country, and what we can do to help.In full disclosure, the interviewer, David Raban, worked for AppalReD for ten weeks this past summer and was paid for that work through the University of Chicago Law School and the Rural Summer Legal Corps, a collaboration between Equal Justice Works and the Legal Services Corporation.Podcast Production CreditsDavid Raban, for producing, engineering, interviewing, and editingMusic is “Knockout 2” by Da Tooby“Yes Yes Ya’ll” by Matt LargeCover art by Shirin RabanSpecial thanks to everyone at AppalReD

Evan Smith is a public interest attorney and the Director of Advocacy for AppalReD, a nonprofit that gives free legal services in rural Appalachia. We spoke about what it’s like to work in rural America, the legal issues people face in that part of the country, and what we can do to help.In full disclosure, the interviewer, David Raban, worked for AppalReD for ten weeks this past summer and was paid for that work through the University of Chicago Law School and the Rural Summer Legal Corps, a collaboration between Equal Justice Works and the Legal Services Corporation.Podcast Production CreditsDavid Raban, for producing, engineering, interviewing, and editingMusic is “Knockout 2” by Da Tooby“Yes Yes Ya’ll” by Matt LargeCover art by Shirin RabanSpecial thanks to everyone at AppalReD

Matt and Radhika sit down with LUC Law Professor Henry Rose, Emma McMullen of Legal Aid Chicago, and current Loyola 3L Sarah Sewell to talk about public interest law. We'll discuss what drives students to go into public interest and what discourages them, the most pressing areas of need for legal assistance today, the obstacles that make it difficult for those in need of legal aid to receive zealous advocacy and the challenge of law school graduates pursuing such work with a heavy debt burden. Prof. Henry Rose Bio: Upon completion of law school, Professor Rose practiced law for the Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation for six years. He also was employed by the Legal Services Corporation as a management consultant for one year. He was the director of the Loyola University Community Law Center for many years. His principal areas of academic interest include civil law as it affects low income persons and property. Emma McMullen Bio: Emma wanted to be a lawyer for as long as she can remember and was one of the few who entered law school with a career path in mind and stuck to it. As an undergrad at the University of Illinois, she double majored in psychology and political science where she found an intersection between systems of policy and youth development. When she entered law school and the Child Law fellowship program at Loyola, Emma was confident her academic background would put her on a policy track, ideally in the realm of foster care and adoption. However, after her experiences with direct service at the Family Defense Center (now called Ascend Justice) and through the Civitas Child Law Clinic, she decided she loved working with clients and needed more background on how individuals are impacted by systems before she moved toward policy. Emma began working at Legal Aid Chicago (formerly LAF) after taking the bar and has spent the past year working with youth in care and education matters and victims of domestic violence who are navigating the family law legal system. Sarah Sewell: Originally from Lake Charles, Louisiana, Sarah graduated from Loyola University New Orleans in May of 2015 and worked in various elementary education positions before leaving New Orleans in 2017 to study education law at Loyola. As a law student, Sarah changed directions to focus on child welfare and has been clerking at the Office of the Cook County Public Guardian’s Office since May of last year. There, Sarah has had the privilege to represent numerous children in Juvenile Court Child Protection proceedings using her 711 license, and has worked on various aspects of cases including witness and exhibit preparation, participation in mediation, investigations, as well as client interviews. She hopes to continue a career in child protection after graduating in May of 2020. When she’s not studying, Sarah loves exploring Chicago parks, discovering new music, and trying to keep her plants alive. She also wants everyone to know you get free admission to the Art Institute with your Loyola ID!

For the third year in a row, the Legal Services Corporation held a fundraiser concert at the ABA Annual Meeting. Before the performance, co-hosts Laurence Colletti and Marty Balogh sat down with John Levi, Joey Jackson, Nancy Hays, and Robert Sims to discuss the purpose and goals of the fundraiser and their personal involvement in the event. They also highlight impactful stories of how life-changing legal help can be to those in need and encourage listeners to partner with Legal Services Corporation. John Levi is a longtime partner at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago and chairman of the board of directors for the Legal Services Corporation. Joey Jackson is a criminal defense lawyer and legal analyst for CNN and HLN. Robert Sims is a professional baritone who performed for the LSC fundraiser concert. Nancy Hays is president of Nancy Hays Entertainment & Speakers, Inc.

What is the American Bar Association (ABA) doing to ensure there is a national voice for, not just the legal profession, but for vulnerable people and communities that we serve, to make sure that the Constitution is protected? As his term comes to an end, current ABA President Bob Carlson sits down with ALPS Executive Vice President Chris Newbold to discuss the ABA's work to move the needle on tough topics like lawyer wellbeing, natural disaster relief, immigration, diversity and inclusion, and the vision of global stewardship. Transcript:   CHRIS NEWBOLD:              Good afternoon. This is Chris Newbold, executive vice president of ALPS. Welcome to ALPS in Brief podcast. I'm actually here today in Missoula, Montana. It's July 19, 2019, and I have a very special guest here in our offices. Current ABA president in America, attorney Bob Carlson. Bob Carlson is a former past president of the state bar of Montana and is the second Montanan to ever hold the post of ABA President. Bob, thank you for joining us today. BOB CARLSON:                       Well Chris, thanks for having me. And just to tell your viewers, we just completed another successful ALPS leadership retreat here in Missoula, and had bar leaders and executive directors from around the country. It was inspirational as always, so thank you. CHRIS:                 Yeah, obviously ALPS, in our malpractice insurance, one of the strong partnerships that we enjoy is our relationship with state bars and, and Bob was actually, back in his state bar is, was a major force in the creation of ALPS. And so we obviously appreciate his longtime support of ALPS. Bob, let's talk, I want to talk a little bit about ... Let's talk one year ago today, right? So you were on the cusp of going into the annual meeting in which you were going to be sworn in as president of the ABA, right? Talk to our listeners about just kind of what you were thinking about before you went into the post. Obviously, you went through a pretty long cycle of leadership positions in the ABA, but there's, there's probably nothing like kind of getting ready for the actual year itself. And so talk to us about your mindset, about what you were thinking about going into the year as ABA president. BOB:                          Well, a few things. First of all, my predecessor, Hilarie Bass had started some programs that we wanted the association to continue. Going back a couple of years before that with Linda Klein and Paula Brown, they had started some programs that as an association, we wanted to continue. What we didn't want to do is just start something new, start a fresh initiative that was Bob Carlson's initiative. And I think that Hilarie had a similar mindset and we had worked well together and an issue that was very, very important to both of us was attorney wellness and wellbeing. We were bound and determined to continue to spread the message about the work that the association and state local bars were doing in that area. The second thing was to try to continue to spread the message about what the ABA and its young lawyers division does in the area of disaster relief and disaster resiliency. In the last two years, we've had disasters, significant devastating disasters, whether it's hurricanes or tornadoes or wildfires or earthquakes from the US Virgin Islands to American Samoa. So literally one end of this country to the other, and we wanted to continue to focus on that. Immigration was a critical issue. The ABA has significant policy in this area to try to assist in making sure that, number one, the children that were removed from their families were reunited. We're still working on that. Number two, that unaccompanied minors got a fair hearing and got as much representation, whether direct representation or pro bono representation, that we could provide or at a minimum that they had been provided with some information about what their rights were and also to assist people seeking asylum. We continue to work on that even though the landscape seems to change on a regular basis. And finally we were rolling out a new website and a new membership model. I come from a very small firm in a rural state and I wanted to make sure that we had Hilarie and Judy and some other, Judy Perry Martinez, my successor, and others speaking for the larger firms. Hillary's firm was 2000 lawyers. At the start of my year, we had five or six. We're now three due to a couple of moves out of state of a couple of associates. But wanted to really show to lawyers in small firms around the country that the ABA was relevant to them. And that was a great value in terms of making them a better practitioner, providing them the right tools they needed to assist their clients, and to make it more affordable and accessible. On the eve last, almost what is a 49 weeks ago today? That was the thought. Had a lot of momentum going into the year from things that my predecessors had done, and I think we've kept the momentum up and, and moved the ball forward on a lot of areas. CHRIS:               That's a really interesting thing to kind of note because I think in the governance model of the ABA, there has been a little bit, what's the president's initiative? Best practices in nonprofit governance would tell you that, you know, there's a strategic plan, right? And there's a vision of a board and the president is just the steward of the vision, right? As opposed to, and it seems like there's been a lot of progress with the last couple of leaders of the ABA in terms of executing a coherent, sustainable vision for the organization. BOB:                        And that's been the goal. I grew up in the bar world in the state bar, Montana. When I first became a member of the board, we were just starting, this was back in the 80s, we were just starting our strategic planning process and when I became president we were five, six years into that process and the presidents were moving things forward. A strategic plan keeps getting evolved every year. You look at it every year. You've done retreats, the [inaudible 00:06:43] retreats for the state bar and others, that you know, what have you accomplished but needs more work? What new issues have arisen on the landscape? The legal profession is constantly evolving. Issues constantly evolve, so you have to figure out a way to meet that. Most of the state bars though don't have the turnover, complete turnover in leadership that the ABA does. So you have a board at the ABA that rolls over completely, is a new board every three years We have a strategic plan now for the board that Hilarie pushed through. We have done some reorganization internally, but the mindset has to be at the top. The leaders at the top have to say, listen, we support the association moving forward. This is not about the individuals that are the presidents. This is about the association. This is about the profession. This is about the independence of the judiciary, and diversity and inclusion. What are we going to do to move those things forward? And the way you do it is you sort of have a relay. It's not a sprint. It's not, I'm going to do as much as I can in one year. It is confident in the knowledge that you keep moving the baton forward. That I took it from Hilarie and I'm giving it to Judy and she's giving it to Patricia Refo from Arizona, and we're going to continue to move the association forward in a strategic way, and in an organized way. This gives you the flex. This allows you to meet the ongoing programs, to continue to expand and work on programs, but also meet the new things that happen in every presidency. Whether you're a state bar president or the president of the largest voluntary legal association in the world, every year there's going to be something that happens that you're going to have to react to on behalf of your members and on behalf of the profession. CHRIS:                 So you have those expectations, right? There's continuity in the goals one year later. How do feel like things at one? BOB:                    I actually feel really good. We have moved. We have made progress in a number of areas, and I think the association as a whole has strengthened. We did a lot of things last year to strengthen and we did a number of more to strengthen it, and we are positioned to really have a very strong national association for the future. I think for the listener that's critically important to the independence of the judiciary. It's critically important to due process and the rule of law that you have a national voice for, it's not just for the legal profession, it's for vulnerable people and communities that we serve to make sure that the message gets delivered, to make sure that the Constitution is protected. I feel like we really as an association have made a lot of progress, and one area that we've made significant progress in is the area of lawyer wellness and wellbeing. Thanks a lot in no small part to your work and assistance as the co-chair of the ABA working group on lawyer wellbeing in the profession. I'm sure I've totally messed up the title but we have really created a movement. Primarily my job is taking in as many groups as possible about the issues concerning lawyer wellbeing and lawyer wellness, whether it's a state bar, or a local bar, or law schools, or meetings of managing partners, or to regional bar associations. Not only what the ABA is doing, but how we can partner with all the other stakeholders, including companies like ALPS, who write legal malpractice insurance and have been big supporters of the organized bar since ALPS inception. So I feel really good. We created a pledge we have for legal employers to talk about and think about lawyer wellness and wellbeing for their employees. We've got 120 legal employers that have signed up both law schools, in-house counsel, some of the largest law firms in the country, and then a small firm like myself. So it's not just for big firms, and it's not a one size fits all. It's what can you do to make sure that the consciousness of the law firms and the employers are raised so that they are more aware of the issues that their employees are going through. So if somebody needs help, they know the resources they can get to, the toolkit on lawyer wellbeing with the 80 tips, a [inaudible 00:11:53] that you can download on your phone. I mean that's tremendous progress in an area where we needed something to say, listen, this is okay to talk about. It is okay to get help. It is imperative that you get help. And we're trying to make sure that publicly, every day, everywhere I've gone this year to every audience, those words come out of my mouth. If you need help, we have the resources to get you help. Because to be a good lawyer, you need to be a healthy lawyer. CHRIS:                Yeah. And how would you characterize the state of attorney wellbeing right now if you had to kind of step back and reflect a little bit? Because obviously, we have a long way to go. The numbers are not favorable, right? But education and discussion and as you say, the creation of a movement dedicated to the betterment of the profession is a noble direction for us to take. BOB:                        It is, and we've made progress. I do think we've made progress. The conversations over the past year, I sort of lost track of the count, but I think I spoke in 17, 18, 19 law schools primarily on the topic of lawyer and law student wellbeing, urging law schools to think about it. And there's a number of law schools that are doing great things. There's number of law schools that within an hour after leaving the lunch with the students, they created a working group to discuss how they could do things in their law school, which included faculty, interested faculty members and deans. So I think we've kept this as sort of a fear thing for so long. People were afraid that if they identified as having a problem, whether it's a mental disease problem, anxiety, depression, bipolar, whatever, or if it's a substance issue, they felt that if they sought help that they'd have to report themselves and that they would be stigmatized, and they would be penalized for that either in their admission to the law school or their admission to the bar. So we increased the bandwidth of the stakeholders where we have regular discussions with the conference of chief justices. So the 50 chief justices from every state who can basically oversee the practice of law and the admission to law and to practice in their states. We've had discussions in law schools. We've had discussions with managing partners of big firms, medium firms, and small firms. There was a national summit where educators, lawyers, legal malpractice insurance companies got together to talk about how to move this message forward. I'd say the most important thing we've done is we talked about it every day, and I think that's made a big difference. There's a lot of things, there's a lot of positive things that the legal profession is doing today. A lot of, whether it's volunteering a for pro-Bono in disaster relief areas, whether it's volunteering to assist people seeking asylum at the border or in their communities, whether it's volunteering to help people with their veterans benefits, or the elderly. Whether it's lobbying for legal services, adequate funding and the Legal Services Corporation or the public service loan forgiveness program. All things that the profession is doing, the great things. Those things provide you satisfaction as lawyers. Helping somebody pro bono, for free, provides satisfaction. So we're trying to provide as many opportunities to younger lawyers to do that, as well as more seasoned lawyers like myself. At the same time, it's sort of an individual decision about how you want your life as a legal practitioner to unfold. Do you want to be a professor? Do you want to work in government? Do you want to be in a big firm or small firm? When I taught in law school, since I come from a small firm, and Hilarie comes from a very large firm before me, and Judy comes from a medium-sized firm, I make that analysis. Here's the world's largest legal association. Here's three totally separate, 2000 lawyer firm from Miami, three to five lawyer firm at the time I started from Butte Montana, a few hundred lawyers from New Orleans, Louisiana. That's pretty diverse in terms of practice areas, in terms of scope. You lay that out to people saying these are things that you can do. You can choose to practice where you want, and you need to make part of that decision to make yourself feel like you're giving back. CHRIS:               In many respects, you know, the attorney wellbeing is a one attorney at a time progression. Right? And the more that we're raising the visibility of the issue, willing to have meaningful conversations, be vulnerable at times. Right? And be able to look out for one another. It's amazing how much impact you can have, one lawyer can have, on the people around them. BOB:                       Yeah. And I think for a long time, people were either embarrassed or didn't want to interfere. But if you look at it in terms of if you saw somebody that was stepping out in front of a bus, you know, you'd reach out and grab the person. And people that are suffering from either addiction or anxiety, depression, other mental diseases, that's that equipment. And do you have to at least say something, be willing to raise the issue, not to embarrass them, not to demean them, to treat it as a part of society. These things are in society. Unfortunately, the legal profession has way higher averages of people suffering from these issues than the average population and way more than the other professions. And so we need to be able to speak up. And I think part of it historically was, oh, that was a sign of honor to, I could party hard and then still get up and go to work and be a great a lawyer or I, you know, I feel bad so I'm not going to go help because that would make me seem weak. So I'm going to, you know, ignore it for self-medicate, which compounds the problem. And the more you can normalize this, or de-stigmatize it, the more you can say, this is part of life. We're here to help you. You need to get help and we are not going to judge you when you do it. CHRIS:              Yeah. And one of the things that also I think is interesting is that you know, there seems to be more willingness as a society for us to talk about these issues, right? I mean, you, you hear top 40 songs talking about suicide hotlineS, and you see a lot more stars coming out and being more vulnerable about things that are affecting them. And then you have generational change. Right? And so talk about what you see in terms of just, you know, you spent a lot of time in law schools. I mean, I think the generational shift in terms of the millennials are soon going to be, you know, the majority of lawyers out there. Right? And what that means in terms of the awareness of worK-life balance, professional satisfaction and willingness to talk about these issues more openly and honestly. BOB:                          Yeah, I think the trend is, I think we're seeing some positive results in the more experienced, the baby boomer generation, getting help and being willing to talk about it. But I really do see a great hope for the profession with our younger lawyers and with the law students coming out because they are more willing to seek help. They're more willing to seek fulfillment in both their day jobs, whatever they are, but also volunteering on issues of importance to them. And as an association, we're trying to provide as many opportunities for them as possible so they can volunteer their time and talents to the communities where they live. And I think that is going to pay dividends in terms of their self-fulfillment, their enjoyment of their job. I've practiced law now for, I graduated 40 years ago, and there's been some tough times. The practice of law is difficult, but I've always enjoyed doing this. I've always enjoyed being a lawyer, helping clients. But I think part of what's given me the fulfillment in this is this. I mean I've been active in the state and national bar, you know, since the early eighties, so not too long after I got a law school. And that sense of giving back to the profession, that sense of being around talented lawyers from all over the country, and having that experience has really been fulfilling in not only my life but my family's life. My wife and I have great friends all over the country, that but for doing this volunteer work, we would've never met these people. And I think that part of the thing is to, and I come from a small firm, we've always been a small firm and we've always been committed to giving back to both the bar and the community. But that sense of fulfillment is something that if we can convince more lawyers starting in law school and more young lawyers to participate in that, to take that time and provide more opportunities. You don't have to do this. I mean being the president of this association has been great, but you know, not everybody's going to do this. I do know that in every classroom, every group of young lawyers that I talk to, I say the same thing. There is somebody in this room that in the next 20 years is going to be standing up giving this set of remarks to the next generation of lawyers. Because I do believe that. I believe that you have to be open to the possibilities that one thing you do, one day, one volunteer effort somewhere, you have to be open to the possibility that that is not only going to change the person's life that you're helping, that it's going to change your life. And I think our generation has done a pretty good job. But this next generation I think is ready, willing and able to step up to the plate. And I have great confidence. Is it perfect yet? No, but are we making progress? Did we move the needle this year in a number of areas as an association of profession? Absolutely yes. CHRIS:             That's great. That's great. Tell me how has your small firm perspective been important in your leadership perspective? Not that it's unusual that a small firm lawyer becomes president of the ABA. But when you look at the numbers, right? 49% of, you know, the ABA statistics, 49% of lawyers in private practice are solo practitioners. Right? And then the next, you know, 24, 26% are in firms of two to five. Right? So it's fairly unusual to find somebody who has the capacity, the commitment to step forward and bring that perspective from a leadership perspective. And so I'm wondering how you reflect now about how that perspective has been part of your leadership journey. BOB:                    Well, I certainly think it's helped. It's helped keep me grounded. I've never taken myself too seriously, although I tried to learn something every day and lay awake at night thinking could I have done this better or differently. But I think that being from a smaller firm, when you're out talking to groups of lawyers, most of them are going to be in that category. And I know what they're going through. I mean, I know the day to day ups and downs, and joys and sort of a downside of being in a small firm and being part of the fabric of a community. And being from a rural state, that sort of amplifies that. Because lawyers volunteer everywhere, but if you're in a big city that shouldn't, but it sort of gets lost in the whole, there's a lot of people doing a lot of things. If you're in a small town or from a rural state, you see lawyers on every board. You see lawyers coaching soccer and baseball and refereeing and they're part of the fabric, the literal fabrics of their communities. And to be from that background, I think gives you a better voice when you're talking to those folks. I think the association as a whole and the leaders have always done a great job trying to assist solo and small firm lawyers be better lawyers. We've got great tools for that. We've worked hard over the last several years to expand that. And maybe it was in part because of comments or suggestions that I brought to the table being from that perspective. And so I think that it allows you to walk up and say, listen, I get it. Now the larger firm lawyers who have been president, they're empathetic. They do get it. They want to help everybody there. Their job, you're leading this association, you want to help all the members and you want to increase membership. You want to gain more people so you can help more people help more clients. And so they get it. But it's like when I walk into the room with 50 managing partners of these major law firms, I get it because I've been in those discussions, some of them I've known for a long time, but I don't know what it is they're going through managing 59 offices in 30 countries or whatever it is. I mean I empathize but they're like looking at me like what do you know? And I think that now there's a face because there's been this misperception that the ABA is only for big law firms and coastal law firms. And that's just not true. A vast number of our members are from solo and small firms and, but now they know that you can lead this. Now they know that number one, leadership is for everybody. It's very diverse across all categories. And they know that there's somebody here that they could pick up the phone and say, I'm having this issue, what programs are the ABA running or do you have to help me? And they know that I know what I'm talking about when I'm talking to them. It's just a matter of expanding the bandwidth and pushing the envelope that we have all sorts of people who've risen to the top and leadership of this association. This association is a big tent and it is for everybody, no matter where you come from, no matter what your practice, no matter what your firm size, no matter what your gender, race, social or sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, whatever. This association is for them. We have done I think a better job over the last several years of moving that message, in part because of who we've selected to be the president of this association. CHRIS:                 Well, you sit now in the home stretch of your tenure as president, just a few short weeks you'll be handing off the baton. Have you had any time to reflect on the year? You've, you've been go, go, go, go, go. I'm just curious about the personal side of this type of service, commitment to the profession. I'm sure you'll have a decompression time at some point here in the near future. But you've been in enough airplanes where you probably get some time to think as well. BOB:                         Yeah. I've been trying to take it one hour at a time, literally. Get to the next commitment, be in the moment for the people that I'm speaking to or having conversations with at the time, and then keep moving. I've done some reflection on the plains, but a lot of it is how can I do a better job and the time that's remaining in this term to deliver the message better. Trying to learn from every set of remarks, how could I make more of an impact on the audience? How can I make this work? How can we make a broader impact on other issues facing the profession and the judiciary in the United States and frankly the world? So what can you do to move that forward? And I've been very fortunate. My very small law firm has supported me. I have still practiced law this year, not as much as maybe I would have liked to help my partner out and help the law firm out in our clients, but I've done some, which is a little unusual for an ABA president. And I think I've had great support from my wife Cindy. Because we have two dogs who miss us and we miss them. We haven't traveled a lot together and plus this job is sort of like being on a rock band tour without the band. You're sometimes in multiple cities in a handful of days and she prefers to go to a location to sort of be there for a few days, three or four days at a time. And there's times when you're in a city for two hours. So it's been a little difficult at times. But she's been great. But we've been in this for the whole run. We're going to be 34 years of marriage, but we dated before that. So she's my entire career or bar service, my entire career at my law firm, which I started in 1981, she's been in the picture. And she's got a lot of friends in the state bars, and in the national bar, and people that she's met around the world. This has been a fabulous experience. I'll sit back and reflect later, but we still have three weeks give or take to go and there's still more stuff to do. We're still trying to every day look at things and say, how can we do good today and continue to move the association forward? CHRIS:               Well thank you Bob, obviously for your service. I think anybody who ultimately serves in a service capacity, in a leadership role, I think our ultimate goals that leave the organization better than we found it. Right? And I think that if that's the benchmark versus success, I think you should certainly be proud of what you've been able to achieve in your year as ABA President. And again, there's a lot of people around you. There's an incredible ABA staff, right? This is an organization that's committed to betterment. And you know, while you're the steward of the vision at this point, I know it's got to be fulfilling for you to begin to think about the fact that you've ideally move the needle forward and you're going to leave at a stronger organization than you found it. BOB:                          Yeah, you sort of stole my last set of comments. But yeah, we do have a great, not only a great staff, they're tremendous and they provide a great deal of support. But we have a tremendous number of volunteer members, volunteer lawyer leaders around the country that participate like yourself, on working groups, committees, task force commissions, the sections that provide the substantive practice. We have such a great wealth of talent in this association. We are definitely moving the needle in a number of areas. Do we have more work to do? Yes, but we will continue to do that. We'll continue to speak out where it's necessary in defense of, not only the profession, not only the judiciary, but in defense of due process and rule of law, both in this country and around the world. That's what the association has been doing. I am fortunate enough to be the 142nd president. We've been doing this for 142 years, three years, and we're going to keep doing it. So thanks for your time. I appreciate all that you've done and all that ALPS has done as a company to support the organized bar. CHRIS:                 Bob, it's been fun. I appreciate you taking a couple of minutes on a late Friday afternoon at the conclusion of our ALPS bar leaders retreat. Again, Bob's been a great friend of mine and our organization. We thank him for his service and leadership of this great profession. So thank you Bob. BOB:                        Thank you. Appreciate it. CHRIS:                 That will conclude our ALPS in Brief a podcast. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, please let us know for future topics, and that's it. Have a great weekend. Thanks.  

Join the hosts of Legal Speak for interviews on the new technologies and legal service innovations making waves at Legalweek New York. Brian Kuhn, global leader of IBM’s Watson Legal, shares a perspective on the potential of artificial intelligence. Wendy Butler Curtis, chief innovation officer at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, talks about the new career paths emerging for lawyers and non-lawyers alike. Legal marketing guru Deborah Farone explains why marketers need a seat at the innovation table. And James Sandman, president of the Legal Services Corporation, discusses the promise of technology to improve access to justice. Legal Speak is brought to you by Econ One, offering economic expertise, consulting and dispute resolution, and data analytics.  

On this episode of The Geek In Review, we talk with the new Executive Director of the American Association of Law Libraries, Vani Ungapen. Vani discusses her initiation into AALL and having to learn all of the different acronyms that Law Librarians like to use.  Greg was inducted into the College of Law Practice Management as a Fellow. While at the CoLPM meeting, former Harvard Law School President, Martha Minnow discussed her mission as the Vice-Chair of the Legal Services Corporation, and the need to help those who cannot afford legal services to not fall through the cracks.  To dovetail with Martha Minnow's topic, check out the work that is going on with The Bail Project, which created a rotating bail fund to help those who are sitting in jail, primarily because they cannot post bail. Greg ponders if there is something that legal associations could do to support these types of projects in support of access to justice issues. Marlene went to the latest Ark Group KM meeting (apparently there was a Fortnight dance involved?) While she was there, she asked Vivian Liu-Somers, Ron Friedmann, Phil Rosenthal, Phil Bryce, and Meredith Williams-Range about how does Knowledge Management impact innovation.  Perhaps the most exciting change this week is that we have new music from Jerry David DeCicca. Jerry is a well-known Americana musician and former lead singer of The Black Swans. There is a law library link in this music in that AALL member, Eve Searls, sings back up, and plays keyboard and Wurlitzer on Jerry's latest album, Burning Daylight. We are very excited that Jerry is letting us use his fabulous music on the Podcast. Check out his Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/2zK20J4miKH4eF6LW1HyGq?nd=1), and iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jerry-david-decicca/874638238) channels.  If you have comments or suggestions, please tweet us at @gebauerm or @glambert.

Millions of Americans try to navigate the civil justice system without representation because they cannot afford legal services. At the Oklahoma Summit on Access to Justice, host John Williams talks to Jim Sandman, president of Legal Services Corporation, about the justice gap: the difference between the civil legal needs of low-income Americans and the resources available to meet those needs. They discuss raising awareness of the issue and highlight that studies on legal aid funding show a huge return on the investment. It makes good financial sense for our society to provide equal access to justice for all Americans, regardless of economic status. Jim Sandman is president of Legal Services Corporation, the country’s largest funder of civil legal aid programs.

Clients do not have a ready outlet through which they can broadly share their lived experiences of injustice in a way that might make things better. Legal aid advocates—including those who work for Legal Services Corporation-funded programs—can change that. But how? In our August 2018 episode of the Advocacy Exchange, our monthly conversation with advocates advancing change, we talked with Kevin De Liban of Legal Aid of Arkansas and Søren Dal Rasmussen of Voices for Civil Justice. We discussed best practices for legal aid advocates working with the media and specific examples from Arkansas. For more, be sure to read Kevin and Søren's Clearinghouse article, "Narrating Justice: Client-Center Media Advocacy." http://povertylaw.org/clearinghouse/articles/Rasmussen

Fall camp opens for Michigan football and coaches Jim and Jack are ready! Then Congressman Joe Kennedy III joins the show to talk about supporting legal services for all (we did our best to keep things bipartisan and to not discuss politics) with the help of John Levi (Chairman of the Legal Services Corporation). #JackTalk wraps up the podcast talking Canton and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In an effort to bring more awareness to funding legal services for the underrepresented, Legal Services Corporation hosted their second annual concert. In this report from On The Road at ABA Annual Meeting 2018, host Laurence Colletti talks to Marty Balogh, John G. Levi, E. Faye Butler, Zachary Stevenson, and Judge Lora J. Livingston about the importance of properly funding legal services. They discuss the kinds of issues the Legal Services Corporation addresses and opportunities to volunteer legal representation to those who can't afford it. Marty Balogh is the associate executive director of Meetings and Travel Group at the American Bar Association. John G. Levi is a partner in Sidley’s Chicago office and was confirmed by the Senate and elected as chairman of the Legal Services Board of Directors on April 7, 2010. E. Faye Butler is an accomplished and decorated theater actress and singer who is proud to call Chicago her home. Best known for his acclaimed tribute to Buddy Holly, Vancouver Island native, Zachary Stevenson, channels the spirit and sounds of the past in dynamic performance that is uniquely his own. Honorable Lora J. Livingston is the judge of the 261st District Court in Travis County, Texas.

Government funding is one of the principle sources of funding for legal aid programs but convincing politicians to fund these programs can seem like a huge obstacle. In this report from On The Road at the 2018 Equal Justice Conference, host Kimberly Sanchez talks to Jim Sandman, Betty Balli Torres, Carol Bergman, Nikole Nelson, and Vicky Selkowe about the complex issue of educating donors about what legal aid is and why they should care about it. They share advice about how to develop relationships with donors including seeing legislators as people and fully understanding the difference between educating and lobbying. James Sandman is president of the Legal Services Corporation, the single largest U.S. funder of civil legal aid programs for low-income people. Betty Balli Torres has served as the executive director of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, the largest Texas-based funder for legal services to the poor, since October 2001. Carol Bergman has served at Legal Services Corporation since March 2012 and is responsible for managing LSC's communications and relationship with Congress, the executive branch, the media, and the general public. Nikole Nelson is the executive director of Alaska Legal Services Corporation, Alaska’s only LSC-funded program and the only statewide provider of free civil legal assistance to low-income Alaskans. Vicky Selkowe is the director of legislative, rulemaking and training compliance at Legal Action of Wisconsin and lead instructor at Wisconsin Women's Network.

Earlier this spring, the Trump Administration released its full 2018 budget proposal, which outlined deep cuts, and even outright eliminations, of some agencies. Among the 19 agencies on the chopping block is the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), an independent nonprofit established by Congress to support low-income Americans with civil legal aid. While the budget for 2017 kept funding in place for LSC to the tune of $385 million, the expected budget showdown for 2018 has many legal aid organizations concerned for the future, including Legal Assistance Foundation (LAF) in Chicago. In the latest installment of our podcast series, For Public Consumption, host Sharon Sayles Belton, vice president, Government Affairs and Community Relations at Thomson Reuters, speaks with Diana White, former executive director of LAF, about the organization’s mission, funding challenges and what’s next should federal funds disappear.

Ralph talks to Edgar Cahn about the Legal Services Corporation, which makes thousands of lawyers available to low income Americans; and Leda Huta executive director of the Endangered Species Coalition joins us to tell us why we should care about endangered species.  Plus, Ralph answers your questions!

The legal industry has always been the last to catch up with innovation. Technology, however, may help with one of the industry’s biggest problems, access to justice. In this episode of Law Technology Now, host Monica Bay talks to James Sandman about the ten barriers he sees that block the adoption of technology, five strategies to this issue, and how the adoption of technology will help get legal aid to those that need it. He also talks about the Trump Administration’s budget plan which aims to cut the Legal Services Corporation funding. James Sandman has been president of the Legal Services Corporation since 2011.

On March 16, 2017, President Trump unveiled his proposed federal budget. With this proposed budget came many federal budget cuts to federal agencies and programs like the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, “Meals on Wheels,” and the Office of Violence Against Women.  Included in these cuts, was the Legal Services Corporation, an independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974 to provide financial support for civil legal aid to low-income Americans. If President Trump’s current budget proposal is approved by Congress, this elimination of funding would directly impact those who seek legal representation. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Bob Ambrogi joins attorney Jim Sandman, president of the Legal Services Corporation, and attorney Linda Klein, president of the American Bar Association, to discuss President Trump’s budget proposal to zero out funding for the Legal Services Corporation. This discussion includes the state of legal services funding today and what cuts or elimination would mean for lower income Americans. Attorney James J. Sandman has been president of the Legal Services Corporation since 2011. Jim practiced law with Arnold & Porter LLP for 30 years and served as the firm’s managing partner for a decade. Attorney Linda Klein is president of the American Bar Association and the senior managing shareholder at Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio and Litera.

Proposals for huge cuts to US civil legal aid are condemned by Legal Services Corporation chair John Levi and former chair Frank Strickland. #country

Julie Reiskin is the executive director of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC). CCDC advocates for social justice for people with all types of disabilities. CCDC is a leading disability rights organization whose unique model of blending legal and non-attorney advocacy has achieved results for thousands of Coloradans with disabilities. With a motto of Nothing About Us Without Us Ever, CCDC has led the way in citizen or client engagement and CCDC trained advocates permeate the Colorado public policy arena. CCDC and Ms. Reiskin assist other organizations with assuring real and meaningful participation by clients at all levels. Through CCDC and the disability community, Ms. Reiskin has gained expertise on nonprofit accountability and best practices, publicly funded long-term community based services, disability rights law, public benefits and the intersectionality of systemic and individual advocacy. Ms. Reiskin has proposed and helped to implement many solutions to create a sustainable and client friendly Medicaid program such as the consumer direction as a delivery model, acted as a respected advocate for individuals and has trained many others in health advocacy and health policy. Prior to becoming the Executive Director for CCDC in 1996, Ms. Reiskin served as the organization's policy analyst. In 2010, Ms. Reiskin was appointed by President Obama to serve on the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation as the client representative. Ms. Reiskin provides consulting with organizations seeking to improve, expand or enhance their ability to effectively practice real and meaningful client/constituent engagement at all levels of the organization. She also helps organizations develop disability cultural competence. Ms. Reiskin moved to Colorado from Connecticut in 1994. In Connecticut, she was a partner in a consulting firm, specializing in diversity issues throughout Southern New England. She also had a private psychotherapy practice. Previous work includes, but is not limited to, several positions working with "hard to serve" youth and positive youth development, AIDS/HIV Education, and grassroots community organizing. Ms. Reiskin has taught extensively in the areas of disability rights, disability culture and disability policy, along with other areas related to diversity in human services. Ms. Reiskin received her Masters in Social Work from the University of Connecticut, with a major in community organizing in 1989. She obtained a B.S. in Women's Studies from the University of Connecticut in 1985. She lives in Denver with her partner of more than 20 years and has two adult stepsons, who both make her very proud.

06-20-16 - The Ups and Downs of Hillary Clinton - Not about the Money, It's about the Power Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (/ˈhɪləri daɪˈæn ˈrɒdəm ˈklɪntən/; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician and the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party for President of the United States in the 2016 election. She is the first female candidate to gain that status for a major American political party. She served as the 67th United States Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013, the junior United States Senator representing New York from 2001 to 2009, First Lady of the United States during the presidency of Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2001, and First Lady of Arkansas from 1983 to 1992. Hillary Rodham grew up in the Chicago area. She attended Wellesley College, graduating in 1969, and earned a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1973. After serving as a congressional legal counsel, she moved to Arkansas, marrying Bill Clinton in 1975. In 1977, she co-founded Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. She was appointed the first female chair of the Legal Services Corporation in 1978, and, the following year, became the first woman partner at Rose Law Firm. As First Lady of Arkansas (1979–81, 1983–92), she led a task force whose recommendations helped reform Arkansas's public schools, and served on the boards of corporations including Walmart. As First Lady of the United States, Clinton led the failed effort to enact the Clinton health plan of 1993. In 1997 and 1999, she helped create programs for children's health insurance, adoption, and foster care. The only first lady to have been subpoenaed, she faced a federal grand jury in 1996 regarding the Whitewater controversy; no charges were brought against her related to this or any other controversies in her life. Her marriage endured the Lewinsky scandal of 1998, and overall her role as first lady drew a polarized response from the public. Clinton was elected in 2000 as the first female senator from New York, the only first lady ever to have sought elective office. Following the September 11 attacks, she voted to approve the war in Afghanistan. She also voted for the Iraq Resolution (which she later regretted), sought to hasten the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, and opposed the Iraq War troop surge of 2007 (which she later commended). She voted against the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, and voted against John Roberts and Samuel Alito for the United States Supreme Court, filibustering the latter. She was re-elected to the Senate in 2006. Running for president in 2008, she won far more delegates than any previous female candidate, but lost the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama. As Secretary of State in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2013, Clinton responded to the Arab Spring, during which she advocated the U.S. military intervention in Libya. While accepting responsibility for security lapses related to the 2012 Benghazi attack, she said she had no direct role in consulate security prior to that attack. Leaving office after Obama's first term, she authored her fifth book and undertook speaking engagements before announcing her second presidential run in the 2016 election.    

Emily R. Sutcliffe, TPIC’s Associate Director, talks with James Sandman, President of the Legal Services Corporation, about the vital role of legal aid plays in the justice system. Featuring Emily Brennan reading the headlines.

The effects of technology on the law can be seen throughout the profession as these innovations are slowly integrated into the legal marketplace. However, has the union of new tech and the practice of law been significantly transformative for lawyers and clients? What factors have hindered the adoption of new technology in the legal sector and what catalysts might be implemented to accelerate the pace of change? In this episode of Law Technology Now, host Monica Bay speaks with Legal Services Corporation President and CodeX FutureLaw keynote speaker Jim J. Sandman about his 10 reasons the law has been slow to adopt technology and the “levers of power” that might be engaged to accelerate that rate. Jim opens the interview with a brief summary of his time as managing partner at Arnold & Porter LLP, the general counsel for the District of Columbia Public Schools, and his five years of tenure as the president of Legal Services Corporation. He reflects on his CodeX 2016 FutureLaw Conference keynote speech and expresses that his intention was to provide an overview of where the profession stands with technology in law today. Technology, Jim explains, has made a number of improvements in law but hasn’t transformed service delivery in the same way it has in other industries and professions. He shares that 80% of the civil legal needs of low income people go unmet and analyzes statistics from legal aid organization studies that show that between 50% to 67% of individuals who can’t afford a lawyer are denied legal services because of inadequate resources. Jim then presents his list of 10 impediments to the adoption of technology in the legal profession, such as a sluggish lawyer administered regulatory system, and discusses changes made in the UK and Australia to approve non-lawyer ownership of law firms. He closes the interview with his list of the 10 agents of change, such as the legal media and state legislatures, that can aid in increasing efficiency for attorneys through the adoption of new technologies. James J. Sandman has been president of the Legal Services Corporation since 2011. He practiced law with Arnold & Porter LLP for 30 years and served as the firm’s managing partner for a decade. From 2007 to 2011, he was general counsel for the District of Columbia Public Schools.