Stop asking what the answer is, be the answer.” Toussaint Romain, former Assistant Public Defender of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Defender’s Office, challenged all attendees with this statement at the end of the third annual Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism’s The Future Is Now conference on May 2.
The Future Is Now conference has become the signature annual event for the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism. The goal of the conference is to foster learning, inspiration and conversations about innovations in the delivery of legal services.
At this year’s conference, 10 experts from around the country presented a series of compelling TED-like talks followed by town hall discussions. Lawyers, entrepreneurs and innovators gathered to discuss topics such as the practicality of artificial intelligence, legal research algorithms, retaining diverse talent, the ethical obligations of data analytics and equal justice to name just a few. Access to justice was theme heard throughout the conference.
The Access To Justice Gap Answer
The legal profession needs to act and be the answer to the access to justice gap according to conference speaker John Levi, board chairman of the Legal Services Corp. The agency defines the access to justice gap as the difference between the civil legal needs of low-income Americans and resources available to meet those needs.
READ MORE Chicago Daily Law Bulletin Volume 164, No. 106 May 31, 2018