New virtual legal tool launching in Montgomery County to help people who can’t afford legal representation — from wdtn.com by Riley Phillips

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — People living in Montgomery County now have access to a new legal tool.

Filing for divorce, changing custody of a child, or taking action in a domestic violence case is not easy, especially for people who cannot afford a lawyer. Susan Choe is the Executive Director of Ohio Legal Help.

“That’s a complex thing for folks who’ve never gone through the legal system, don’t know how to complete court forms,” Choe explained.

Seventeen percent of people in Montgomery County live below the federal poverty line. Ohio Legal Help teamed up with the Montgomery County Domestic Relations Court to create a virtual tool to make sure sure low income residents get the legal help they need. Choe said the website takes people through each part of the legal process. It also helps people fill out forms right there on the site.

Montgomery County Domestic Relations Self Help Center -- DC: We need more of these!!!

 

It’s time for a Legal Moonshot — from jordanfurlong.substack.com by Jordan Furlong
All the challenges facing the legal sector today are systemic and entrenched. To solve them, we have to make a radical commitment to accomplish what we once believed impossible.

Here are three Legal Moonshots that the legal profession could take the lead on.

  1. Establish universal access to justice.
    Someday, this will be reality. Everyone will know their basic legal rights and can easily exercise them. Legal remedies will be free or extremely low-cost. Courts will be integrated into communities with simple entry and guided assistance, delivering clear and swift justice. AI-driven online services will render business agreements and settle everyday disputes. Everyone will have a last will and testament. Nobody will have to represent themselves. Justice will be real. That is all possible, and lawyers can lead the way there. It’s our Holy Grail. Let’s make it actually happen.
  2. Eliminate violence against women.  
  3. Root out public and private corruption.

The Tech Stack Law Firms and Legal Professionals Need to Succeed (Adriana Linares – LawTech Partners) — from tlpodcast.com with Adriana Linares

Adriana explains the differences between case management software, document management platforms, and practice management software. She also touches on the importance of document assembly software and how to maximize the use of data captured during the various stages of a legal matter. She closes out the discussion explaining why many in legal are missing out when they don’t use CRMs–Client and Customer Relationship Management platforms.


How To Use AI in Your Firm (with examples!) — a 1.5 hour webinar recording from clio.com; via The Brainyacts
You know your firm could benefit from AI—now, see how.

In this webinar recording you’ll learn about:

  • Practical use cases for AI in law firms—from legal research to practice area-specific prompts.
  • Popular AI tools and how to choose ones that work with your firm’s budget and goals.
  • The limitations, risks, and ethical considerations of AI for legal professionals.

Virtual Law Firms: Reinventing The Legal Profession With Technology — from forbes.com by Mohaimina Haque

Given these intrinsic advantages, it should come as no surprise that virtual law firms are on the rise. The shutdown and disruptions caused by Covid have provided a further impetus to this trend. For example, it would take an attorney the whole day to drive to the courthouse, park, wait for the judge to call their case, argue the matter, then drive back to the office. Now the same matter can be handled through Zoom and court filings can be filed online. However, after these measures were instituted, I’ve seen how the opposition to such virtual measures has eroded as the real savings in time and money to all parties concerned have become very clear.


Legal Soft Revolutionizes Legal Training with AI-Powered Platform — from globenewswire.com

LOS ANGELES, July 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Legal Soft, a pioneering company in legal technology, is leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize the development of training materials for law firms. Committed to advancing legal education and professional development, Legal Soft’s innovative AI-driven platform is transforming the training landscape for legal professionals.


AI Legal Case Analysis: The Next Frontier in Legal Technology — from dtgreviews.com

AI legal case analysis refers to the use of AI algorithms to analyze legal cases, identify patterns, predict outcomes, and provide insights that can aid in legal decision-making. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the way lawyers approach case strategy, conduct legal research, and even interact with clients.

One of the most significant benefits of AI legal case analysis is its ability to process vast amounts of data quickly and accurately. Traditional legal research is a time-consuming process that involves sifting through hundreds, if not thousands, of cases to find relevant precedents. AI can automate this process, analyzing thousands of cases in a fraction of the time it would take a human. This not only saves time but also increases the accuracy of the research reducing the risk of human error.

Moreover, AI can identify patterns and trends in case law that might be overlooked human researchers. For instance, AI can analyze the decisions of a particular judge or court to determine how they typically rule on certain issues. This information can be invaluable in formulating a case strategy or predicting the outcome of a case.

From DSC:
I’m not sure how I feel about this yet…but I have to admit that I’m very tentative and a bit suspect at this point.

 

Apple’s $3,499 Vision Pro AR headset is finally here — from techcrunch.com by Brian Heater

Image of the Vision Pro AR headset from Apple

Image Credits: Apple

Excerpts:

“With Vision Pro, you’re no longer limited by a display,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said, introducing the new headset at WWDC 2023. Unlike earlier mixed reality reports, the system is far more focused on augmented reality than virtual. The company refresh to this new paradigm is “spatial computing.”


Reflections from Scott Belsky re: the Vision Pro — from implications.com


Apple WWDC 2023: Everything announced from the Apple Vision Pro to iOS 17, MacBook Air and more — from techcrunch.com by Christine Hall



Apple unveils new tech — from therundown.ai (The Rundown)

Here were the biggest things announced:

  • A 15” Macbook Air, now the thinnest 15’ laptop available
  • The new Mac Pro workstation, presumably a billion dollars
  • M2 Ultra, Apple’s new super chip
  • NameDrop, an AirDrop-integrated data-sharing feature allowing users to share contact info just by bringing their phones together
  • Journal, an ML-powered personalized journalling app
  • Standby, turning your iPhone into a nightstand alarm clock
  • A new, AI-powered update to autocorrect (finally)
  • Apple Vision Pro


Apple announces AR/VR headset called Vision Pro — from joinsuperhuman.ai by Zain Kahn

Excerpt:

“This is the first Apple product you look through and not at.” – Tim Cook

And with those famous words, Apple announced a new era of consumer tech.

Apple’s new headset will operate on VisionOS – its new operating system – and will work with existing iOS and iPad apps. The new OS is created specifically for spatial computing — the blend of digital content into real space.

Vision Pro is controlled through hand gestures, eye movements and your voice (parts of it assisted by AI). You can use apps, change their size, capture photos and videos and more.


From DSC:
Time will tell what happens with this new operating system and with this type of platform. I’m impressed with the engineering — as Apple wants me to be — but I doubt that this will become mainstream for quite some time yet. Also, I wonder what Steve Jobs would think of this…? Would he say that people would be willing to wear this headset (for long? at all?)? What about Jony Ive?

I’m sure the offered experiences will be excellent. But I won’t be buying one, as it’s waaaaaaaaay too expensive.


 

Changed by Our Journey: Engaging Students through Simulive Learning — from er.educause.edu by Lisa Lenze and Megan Costello
In this article, an instructor explains how she took an alternative approach to teaching—simulive learning—and discusses the benefits that have extended to her in-person classrooms.

Excerpts:

Mustering courage, Costello devised a novel way to (1) share the course at times other than when it was regularly scheduled and (2) fully engage with her students in the chat channel during the scheduled class meeting time. Her solution, which she calls simulive learning, required her to record her lectures and watch them with her students. (Courageous, indeed!)

Below, Costello and I discuss what simulive learning looks like, how it works, and how Costello has taken her version of remote synchronous teaching forward into current semesters.

Megan Costello: I took a different approach to remote synchronous online learning at the start of the pandemic. Instead of using traditional videoconferencing software to hold class, I prerecorded, edited, and uploaded videos of my lectures to a streaming website. This website allowed me to specify a time and date to broadcast my lectures to my students. Because the lectures were already prepared, I could watch and participate in the chat with my students as we encountered the materials together during the scheduled class time. I drove conversations in chat, asked questions, and got students engaged as we covered materials for the day. The students had my full attention.

 

 

Fresh Voices on Legal Tech with Natalie Knowlton — from legaltalknetwork.com by Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell

EPISODE NOTES

Technology has become the main driver for increasing access to justice, and there are huge opportunities for legal service providers to leverage both existing and emerging tech to reach new clients. Dennis and Tom welcome Natalie Knowlton to discuss the current state of legal services, the justice gap, and ways technology is helping attorneys provide better and more affordable services to consumers. As always, stay tuned for the parting shots, that one tip, website, or observation that you can use the second the podcast ends.

New report on ChatGPT & generative AI in law firms shows opportunities abound, even as concerns persist — from thomsonreuters.com; via Brainyacts #43

Excerpt:

The survey, conducted in late-March by the Thomson Reuters Institute, gathered insight from more than 440 respondent lawyers at large and midsize law firms in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. The survey forms the basis of a new report, ChatGPT & Generative AI within Law Firms, which takes a deep look at the evolving attitudes towards generative AI and ChatGPT within law firms, measuring awareness and adoption of the technology as well as lawyers’ views on its potential risks.

The report also reveals several key findings that deserve special attention from law firm leaders and other legal professionals as ChatGPT and generative AI evolve from concept to reality for the vast majority of the legal industry participants. These findings include:

    • Attitudes are evolving around this technology
    • Firms are taking a cautiously proactive approach
    • There’s a growing awareness of the risks

‘Legal Tech Lists’: 5 Lawyer Tropes That Were Upended By Legal Tech — from abovethelaw.com by Jared Correia
These common fictitious scenarios would be solved by technology.

Excerpt:

There are lots of tropes related to lawyers and law firms that frequently show up in works of fiction.  The thing is, those tropes are tropes because they’re sort of old; they’ve been around for a long time. Now, however, modern technology can solve a heck of a lot of those issues. So, for this edition of the “Reference Manual of Lists,” we’re going to relay a trope, offer an example, and talk about how legal tech actually fixes the problem today.

The Future of Generative Large Language Models and Potential Applications in LegalTech — from jdsupra.com by Johannes Scholtes and Geoffrey Vance

Excerpt:

If you made it this far, you should by now understand that ChatGPT is not by itself a search engine, nor an eDiscovery data reviewer, a translator, knowledge base, or tool for legal analytics. But it can contribute to these functionalities.

In-person vs. virtual ADR — How to choose? — from reuters.com by Eric Larson

Excerpt:

April 20, 2023 – Alternative dispute resolution (ADR), a common technique parties can use to settle disputes with the help of a third party, offers several unique benefits over traditional litigation. It is typically more cost-effective, confidential and generally a preferred method to resolving disputes. As a result, counsel and their clients often view ADR as a no-brainer. But the once simple decision to engage in ADR is now complicated by whether to proceed in-person, virtually or with a hybrid approach.

ChatGPT: A Lawyer’s Friend or Ethical Time Bomb? A Look at Professional Responsibility in the Age of AI — from jdsupra.com by Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates, & Woodyard

Excerpt:

The emergence of ChatGPT comes with tremendous promise of increased automation and efficiency. But at what cost? In this blog post, we’ll explore the potential ethical time bomb of using ChatGPT and examine the responsibility of lawyers in the age of AI.

 

 

Evolving Zoom IQ, our smart companion, with new features and a collaboration with OpenAI — from blog.zoom.us

Excerpt:

Today we’re announcing that we’re evolving the capabilities of Zoom IQ to become a smart companion that empowers collaboration and unlocks people’s potential by summarizing chat threads, organizing ideas, drafting content for chats, emails, and whiteboard sessions, creating meeting agendas, and more.

 

Best Document Cameras for Teachers — from techlearning.com by Luke Edwards
Get the best document camera for teachers to make the classroom more digitally immersive

Along the lines of edtech, also see:

Tech & Learning Names Winners of the Best of 2022 Awards — from techlearning.com by TL Editors
This annual award celebrates recognizing the very best in EdTech from 2022

.
The Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence: Best of 2022 celebrate educational technology from the last 12 months that has excelled in supporting teachers, students, and education professionals in the classroom, for professional development, or general management of education resources and learning. Nominated products are divided into three categories: Primary, Secondary, or Higher Education.

 

Virtual Exam Case Primes Privacy Fight Over College Room Scans — from news.bloomberglaw.com by Skye Witley

  • Cleveland State case centers on remote proctoring software
  • Fourth Amendment protections in question before Sixth Circuit

Excerpt:

A legal dispute over a university’s use of exam proctoring software that allegedly scanned students’ rooms is set to shape the scope of Fourth Amendment and privacy protections for online college tests.

Cleveland State University last week asked a federal appeals court in Cincinnati to review a district court finding that the “room scans” were unconstitutional searches. The case could influence how other students litigate their privacy rights and change how universities virtually monitor their students during exams, attorneys said.

 

5 Tips To Prepare For A Virtual Interview — from bitrebels.com by Chans Weber

Excerpt:

Check Your Equipment Beforehand
You know exactly what you’re going to say in your interview, and you feel confident you’ll get the job! However, what happens if your internet is spotty when it comes time for the big day? Or, what if your Zoom needs an update, and you only find this out minutes before the interview?

It’s important that you check all your equipment hours before your interview starts. Technology can be tricky, and you certainly don’t want it to fail on you once your interview begins.

From DSC:
By the way, I would put this tip to “check your equipment beforehand” out there for faculty, staff, teachers, trainers, and other presenters as well — especially if this is the first time that you are speaking/presenting in a different building and/or room. I made the mistake of going to be a guest lecturer once in a room that I hadn’t been to in a long time. It turned out that the mouse was not working well and needed to be replaced. It threw me off and I wasn’t able to deliver a smooth, issue-free active learning-based session.

 

Some example components of a learning ecosystem [Christian]

A learning ecosystem is composed of people, tools, technologies, content, processes, culture, strategies, and any other resource that helps one learn. Learning ecosystems can be at an individual level as well as at an organizational level.

Some example components:

  • Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) such as faculty, staff, teachers, trainers, parents, coaches, directors, and others
  • Fellow employees
  • L&D/Training professionals
  • Managers
  • Instructional Designers
  • Librarians
  • Consultants
  • Types of learning
    • Active learning
    • Adult learning
    • PreK-12 education
    • Training/corporate learning
    • Vocational learning
    • Experiential learning
    • Competency-based learning
    • Self-directed learning (i.e., heutagogy)
    • Mobile learning
    • Online learning
    • Face-to-face-based learning
    • Hybrid/blended learning
    • Hyflex-based learning
    • Game-based learning
    • XR-based learning (AR, MR, and VR)
    • Informal learning
    • Formal learning
    • Lifelong learning
    • Microlearning
    • Personalized/customized learning
    • Play-based learning
  • Cloud-based learning apps
  • Coaching & mentoring
  • Peer feedback
  • Job aids/performance tools and other on-demand content
  • Websites
  • Conferences
  • Professional development
  • Professional organizations
  • Social networking
  • Social media – Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook/Meta, other
  • Communities of practice
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) — including ChatGPT, learning agents, learner profiles, 
  • LMS/CMS/Learning Experience Platforms
  • Tutorials
  • Videos — including on YouTube, Vimeo, other
  • Job-aids
  • E-learning-based resources
  • Books, digital textbooks, journals, and manuals
  • Enterprise social networks/tools
  • RSS feeds and blogging
  • Podcasts/vodcasts
  • Videoconferencing/audio-conferencing/virtual meetings
  • Capturing and sharing content
  • Tagging/rating/curating content
  • Decision support tools
  • Getting feedback
  • Webinars
  • In-person workshops
  • Discussion boards/forums
  • Chat/IM
  • VOIP
  • Online-based resources (periodicals, journals, magazines, newspapers, and others)
  • Learning spaces
  • Learning hubs
  • Learning preferences
  • Learning theories
  • Microschools
  • MOOCs
  • Open courseware
  • Portals
  • Wikis
  • Wikipedia
  • Slideshare
  • TED talks
  • …and many more components.

These people, tools, technologies, etc. are constantly morphing — as well as coming and going in and out of our lives.

 

 

What factors help active learning classrooms succeed? — from rtalbert.org Robert Talbert

Excerpt:

The idea that the space in which you do something, affects the thing you do is the basic premise behind active learning classrooms (ALCs).

The biggest message I get from this study is that in order to have success with active learning classrooms, you can’t just build them — they have to be introduced as part of an ecosystem that touches almost all parts of the daily function of a university: faculty teaching, faculty development and support, facilities, and the Registrar’s Office to name a few. Without that ecosystem before you build an ALC, it seems hard to have success with students after it’s built. You’re more likely to have an expensive showcase that looks good but ultimately does not fulfill its main purpose: Promoting and amplifying active learning, and moving the culture of a campus toward active engagement in the classroom.

From DSC:
Thank you Robert for your article/posting here! And thank you for being one of the few faculty members who:

  • Regularly share information out on LinkedIn, Twitter, and your blog (something that is all too rare for faculty members throughout higher education)
  • Took a sabbatical to go work at a company that designs and develops numerous options for implementing active learning setups throughout the worlds of higher education, K12 education, and the corporate world as well. You are taking your skills to help contribute to the corporate world, while learning things out in the corporate world, and then  taking these learnings back into the world of higher education.

This presupposes something controversial: That the institution will take a stand on the issue that there is a preferred way to teach, namely active learning, and that the institution will be moving toward making active learning the default pedagogy at the institution. Putting this stake in the ground, and then investing not only in facilities but in professional development and faculty incentives to make it happen, again calls for vigorous, sustained leadership — at the top, and especially by the teaching/learning center director.

Robert Talbert


 

Is your Law Firm Ready for Continued Virtual Legal Proceedings? — from jdsupra.com

Excerpt:

For 2023, one trend is obvious: legal professionals prefer remote work. According to an ABA report on the future of the profession, 87% of lawyers say their workplaces allow them to work remotely. And in just a few years, the percentage of attorneys working exclusively in the office has dropped to less than 30%.

Also relevant/see:

The Metaverse: What Is It? How Does It Affect Law Firms? — from by Annette Choti
A new set of legal issues and advertising opportunities.

Excerpt:

Law Firms And The Metaverse
Since the Metaverse is so new, it will continue to develop and change. Distinct kinds of legal issues and implications have not been uncovered yet. The Metaverse will likely create various legal challenges in the future. This creates a new legal landscape for law firms and lawyers.

Those who anticipate the questions and challenges that may arise will be able to take advantage of this new digital market. Here are some ways a law firm can capitalize on the virtual realities of the Metaverse:

From DSC:
My point in posting this item about “The Metaverse” is not to say that it’s here…but to be sure that it’s on your legal radar. There will be enough legal ramifications of AI to last a while, but I would still recommend someone in your firm look at the place of emerging technologies — those techs not only to be leveraged by your firm but also as to what types of legal issues your lawyers will need to be up-to-speed on.

 

From DSC:
Check out the items below. As with most technologies, there are likely going to be plusses & minuses regarding the use of AI in digital video, communications, arts, and music.



Also see:


Also somewhat relevant, see:

 

From DSC:
Perhaps such a network type of setup could provide audio-visual-based links that people could provide to one another.

 

94% of Consumers are Satisfied with Virtual Primary Care — from hitconsultant.net

Excerpt from What You Should Know (emphasis DSC):

  • For people who have used virtual primary care, the vast majority of them (94%) are satisfied with their experience, and nearly four in five (79%) say it has allowed them to take charge of their health. The study included findings around familiarity and experience with virtual primary care, virtual primary care and chronic conditions, current health and practices, and more.
  • As digital health technology continues to advance and the healthcare industry evolves, many Americans want the ability to utilize more digital methods when it comes to managing their health, according to a study recently released by Elevance Health — formerly Anthem, Inc. Elevance Health commissioned to conduct an online study of over 5,000 US adults age 18+ around virtual primary care.
 
© 2024 | Daniel Christian