Legal Tech Task Force Holds Meeting and Public Hearing, August 9 & 10 in San Francisco Wednesday, July 31, 2019 Categories: News Releases The State Bar Task Force on Access Through Innovation of Legal Services (ATILS) holds its August meeting and a public hearing at the State Bar office in San Francisco on Friday and Saturday, August 9 and 10. Friday Meeting Agenda The Task Force meeting, which begins at 10:00 a.m. Friday, features three speakers who are leaders in legal tech and access to legal services: Margaret Hagan, Director of the Legal Design Lab and a lecturer at Stanford University Institute of Design (the d.school). Professor Hagan launched the d.school’s Program for Legal Tech & Design, experimenting in how design can make legal services more usable, useful, and engaging. She teaches interdisciplinary, project-based classes in which students tackle 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 in order to produce client-focused innovation. Gillian Hadfield, Professor of Law and Professor of Strategic Management, University of Toronto. Professor Hadfield is the inaugural Schwartz Reisman Chair in Technology and Society, and Director of the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology. Her research focuses on innovative design for legal and dispute resolution systems in advanced and developing market economies; governance for artificial intelligence (AI); the markets for law, lawyers, and dispute resolution; and contract law and theory. Anne Sweeney, Managing Attorney for Community Engagement, Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. Ms. Sweeney works with community groups, partner organizations, and staff on community lawyering, outreach and education, training, social work, and advocacy for vulnerable populations. She regularly trains non-attorney providers on navigating the civil legal system. She has also chaired the organization’s Ethics Committee since 2012. Saturday Hearing Agenda The public hearing, which will be held on Saturday from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., invites oral testimony from members of the public on the Task Force’s 16 reform options under consideration. These options represent a groundbreaking menu of possible changes to certain key regulatory issues, including: Exceptions to current restrictions on the unauthorized practice of law; The prospect of non-attorney ownership; and Entity regulation. Those who would like to comment at the hearing are asked to register online. Both the meeting and hearing will be webcast and an online archive will be available. The State Bar’s Task Force on Access Through Innovation of Legal Services is charged with identifying possible regulatory changes to enhance the delivery of, and access to, legal services through the use of technology, including artificial intelligence and online legal service delivery models. Chaired by Justice Lee Edmon of the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, the Task Force consists of 23 members, with a non-attorney majority, designed to help ensure that its recommendations are focused on protecting the interests of the public. (Task Force Roster) The Task Force is expected to submit its recommendations to the State Bar Board of Trustees no later than December 31, 2019. Each recommendation is expected to reflect a balance of the dual goals of public protection and increased access to justice. Follow the State Bar online Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram ### The State Bar of California's mission is to protect the public and includes the primary functions of licensing, regulation and discipline of attorneys; the advancement of the ethical and competent practice of law; and support of efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system. Previous Article Next Article