Legal Tech Startups and Access to Justice

In the fall of 2015, at the urging of Justice Nathan Hecht, the Supreme Court of Texas assembled a 19-member Commission to Expand Civil Legal Services to the public. Earlier this month, the Commission released its report and recommended eight initiatives for opening access to the justice system for low- and middle-income Texans.

Increased funding for public law libraries and amendments to ethics rules that would allow lawyers more freedom in providing additional services via limited scope representation are just two of the initiatives recommended by the Commission. Promoting technologies that facilitate access to affordable legal counsel is another. Legal tech solutions have proven to be an effective remedy to the shortage of affordable legal representation. Supporting and endorsing legal tech startups, particularly those that address niche concerns for self-represented litigants, is an excellent way to help "modest means" individuals participate in the legal process. 

Legal technology entrepreneurs have been pioneers in developing apps and other do-it-yourself tools to help close the justice gap. One such tool is Upsolve, a software program developed by a small group of legal tech pioneers to improve consumer access to Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. It is just one example of the many new legal tech startups that assist consumers with legal problems. This and other programs like it are increasingly becoming an effective option for bridging the justice gap and providing better access to the legal system. As more tech savvy individuals move into the legal arena, and as more lawyers learn how to code, the development of additional apps and other self-help legal tools will undoubtedly expand options for those who would otherwise not have access to the justice system.

Latest & Greatest – Essentials of Texas Water Resources

Edited by Mary K. Sahs

Published by the State Bar of Texas

KFT 1646 .A75 E87 2016

Water, it can be said, is our greatest and most precious natural resource. It is both life-giving and life-sustaining as well as the subject of a complex and, oftentimes, political area of law. Thanks to a project of the State Bar of Texas Environmental & Natural Resources Law Section, the field of water law can be more easily understood. Now, in its fourth edition, Essentials of Texas Water Resources provides an overview of the challenges the state will face as the population continues to grow and shift and water resources become more burdened. The book begins with an overview of the two systems of water rights: surface water and ground water, and the legislative oversight given to these two systems in the forms of water districts and river authorities and regional water districts. Key to this oversight are the protections afforded to water rights by the enforcement statutes set forth in the Texas Water Code. Using the lessons learned from the most recent drought here in Texas, the authors also address changes made to the state’s water planning laws and the evolution of the groundwater management as well as some water management strategies. Other issues include the effect of the Endangered Species Act on water rights, the economic value of water, and the governmental acquisition of water rights. Filled with many handy illustrations, this book is an invaluable resource for those new to the field of water law and for those who simply need a brush-up.

Texas Supreme Court Commission to Expand Legal Services Releases Justice Gap Report

On December 6, 2016, the Commission to Expand Civil Legal Services released eight recommendations for increasing the public's access to justice in Texas. As part of these recommendations, the Commission presented innovative options for those of modest means to participate in the legal system and thereby narrow the justice gap in Texas. Two overarching goals guided the Commission in the drafting of its report: connecting lower and middle-income clients with affordable representation and helping pro se litigants navigate the court system.

According to the report, the success of current initiatives has been dependent upon the participation of public law libraries at the state and county levels. Recognizing the essential role that libraries play, the Commission's report encourages the court to promote adequate funding for public law libraries and for the placement of navigators in libraries, courthouses, and other public spaces. 

In addition to the Travis County Law Library and the Texas State Law Library, the Harris County Law Library was recognized by the Commission for taking steps to close the justice gap. We at the Harris County Law Library are very proud of this recognition, as well as our partnership with the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program in providing services to the populations targeted by the Commission’s recommendations and objectives. We look forward to continuing to provide assistance to our library clientele, helping them to navigate their way through the justice system.

New Features on Lexis Advance Coming in January 2017

Today, the Legal Tech Institute at Harris County Law Library hosted a training session called Introduction to Lexis Advance. This Vendor Visit provided a nice overview of basic search functions within Lexis Advance and featured many tips and tricks for more effectively locating cases and statutes. The session also offered a preview of upgrades that will be added to the Law Library's Lexis subscription in January. Upgrades include:

• National Primary Plus - National cases, statutes, administrative and agency materials plus all law reviews and journals
• National Briefs, Pleadings, and Motions - includes documents from the most dynamic and high-stakes practice areas of litigation
• National Verdicts and Settlements - including IDEX and American Lawyer Media (ALM) VerdictSearch
• News - robust collection of all LexisNexis news sources 
• Matthew Bender Federal Practice Forms - provides a complete range of litigation forms needed for practice in any federal court from federal district courts through and including the Supreme Court of the United States 
• Lexis for Microsoft Office

The Legal Tech Institute will offer training sessions in the new year to introduce these and other features of Lexis Advance. Check the LTI Course Catalog for details about Vendor Visits and the rest of our legal tech CLE programs. 

Looking Back – Pearl Harbor

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Pearl Harbor survivor Bill Johnson stares at the list of names inscribed in the USS Arizona Memorial

U.S. Navy File photo

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor. On December 7, 1941, in the early morning hours on a quiet Sunday, Japanese fighters launched a surprise aerial attack on the American base, killing more than 2,400 people, both civilians and service members alike, and damaging or destroying more than 20 ships. The USS Arizona, one of many dreadnoughts moored in Battleship Row, saw the most casualties with 1,177 service members losing their lives. The event prompted President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to declare in his famous speech that this is “a date that will live in infamy.” In 1994, Congress passed a joint resolution designating each December 7 as “National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.” In accordance with that resolution, President Barack Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation declaring December 7, 2016, to be National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and urging all Americans to support our troops and veterans both here and abroad. Now, 75 years later, we remember those brave men and women of the "greatest generation" who gave their lives in service of this country and honor those servicemen and women who continue to risk their lives in the name of liberty. 

If you would like more information about Pearl Harbor and the events scheduled for its commemoration, please see the following links:

World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument  - This website of the National Park Service provides much useful information about the monument it maintains including information about the USS Arizona Memorial, the effect of the Pacific War on Hawaii, and about the attack itself. It also features photographs and video and audio archives. You can also track the experience of a NPS archaeologist who conducts research dives at the monument and view some past dives to the USS Arizona.

Pearl Harbor 75th Anniversary Commemoration - This website details the programs and agenda for this year’s commemoration. There is a full event schedule for those who might find themselves in Honolulu during the time leading up to National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Most of the events are free and open to the public.

After the Day of Infamy: "Man-on-the-Street Interviews Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor"- The American Memory Collection of the Library of Congress is a digital collection that strives to provide free and open access to a vast array of materials that shaped American history and culture. Formats include manuscripts, photos, sound recordings, books, etc. Part of this collection is After the Day of Infamy: “Man-on-the-Street” Interviews Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Twelve hours of opinions that were recorded after the attack comprise this collection.

Pearl Harbor Oral Histories with Ann Hoog - On the pages of this website, Folklife Specialist Ann Hoog of the American Folklife Center talks about the interviews conducted in the days after the Pearl Harbor. The website also provides a list of other resources of interest available from Library of Congress websites and those of other organizations as well as some written materials.

Today in History - December 7 - This web page of the Library of Congress discusses the air attack on Pearl Harbor and includes some photographs from its collection. There are also some useful links for those who want to learn more not only about Pearl Harbor but also about World War II in general.