In 2020, Neighborhood Legal Services Program(NLSP) realized that legal services organizations had limited options for adequate case management systems, especially in the COVID-19 pandemic. After studying the market, NLSP saw room for innovation within the legal aid industry.
The lack of options for case management systems led NLSP to learn more about Clio. Clio started as a small legal practice management software and has become one of the most reputable case management platforms amongst for-profit law firms. Clio features a modern, easy-to-use interface and a cloud-based infrastructure. Additionally, Clio has comprehensive training tutorials and instantly available customer support, including onboarding and migration from existing systems. Finally, Clio has excellent document management features and robust integrations with over 60 applications.
The functionalities and integrations from Clio made NLSP submit a Technology Initiative Grants (TIG). Established in 2000, the Technology Initiative Grants (TIG) program funds technology projects that provide greater access to high-quality legal assistance and information for low-income Americans.
After receiving letters of support from Legal Aid of Wyoming, Inland Empire Latino Lawyers Association, the DC Bar Foundation, and Clio, NLSP submitted their application for a TIG grant on August 21, 2020.
On October 19, 2020, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) announced that it was awarding Technology Initiative Grants to 24 legal services organizations totaling $3,941,298. One of the recipients of the 2020 TIG funding was Neighborhood Legal Services Program.
Under the scope of the grant, the funding would be used to update NLSP's case management system and work with Clio to adapt a system used by private law firms to meet the needs of legal aid organizations. In addition, under this project, features such as eligibility screening, grants management, and the custom reports required by LSC and other funders had to be developed.
To achieve this innovative and ambitious project, NLSP partnered with Clio and A2J Tech.
This project aims to develop Clio into an affordable and attractive case management system (CMS) option for legal services organizations, providing a user-friendly, modern, and innovative alternative to existing systems.
Working in close partnership with Clio, we will design, develop, and implement new and enhanced Clio features that specifically address the needs of legal services.
