Georgia Online Justice Community

The Georgia Legal Services Program announces the launch of its online training program for staff and volunteer lawyers. GLSP serves 154 mostly rural counties in Georgia through 14 offices, including its headquarters and its State Bar-based Pro Bono Project. Web-based training is necessary to bridge the geographic distance, maximize efficiency and maintain Program resources for direct client services.

The Program's online trainings will be presented through web conferencing and webcasting. Trainings will be supported by Go to Meetings, an online conferencing and webinar resource.

GLSP's web-based training will offer training to staff in the first half of 2008 on word processing applications and features, effective Powerpoint presentations, case management reports, spreadsheet software, Blue Book citations and desktop publishing.

The State Bar Pro Bono Project, a joint project of GLSP and the State Bar of Georgia, will also employ Go to Meetings for its "Every Other Wednesday Pro Bono Tech Tip" webinars. The "Pro Bono Tech Tips" are 30-minute presentations open to GLSP's volunteer lawyers, most of whom are solo practitioners or who work in small law firms. The Tech Tips will cover a range of topics, from pro bono support technology to blogs and PDAs. The Tech Tips are offered to volunteers as appreciation for their contributions and in recognition of the need to maintain strong ties with local bar members.

Substantive law training for staff and GLSP's pro bono attorneys will continue through the use of webcasting software piloted by the Georgia Legal Services Program. The webcasts, covering subjects such as domestic violence, grandparent adoption, and housing law, are offered live on www.GeorgiaAdvocates.org, and archived there for later viewing by advocates and staff.

GLSP's mission is to provide access to justice and opportunities out of poverty for low-income Georgians. Since its founding in 1971, GLSP has helped an estimated 500,000 families and individuals.