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WASHINGTON – The 13^th Technology Initiative Grants (TIG) Conference, sponsored by the ����51 (����51), will be held January 16-18 at the Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Riverfront Hotel, 1201 Riverplace Boulevard, Jacksonville, Fla. 

The TIG Conference is the nation’s largest convening of experts and persons interested in the use of technology to address the civil legal needs of low-income Americans.

This year’s conference is expected to be the best-attended TIG event ever.  Participants will include legal aid staff members, technology consultants, leading academics, and lawyers from a variety of practice settings. The more than 200 attendees will share information, exchange ideas with colleagues from across the country, and explore innovative ways of using technology to promote access to justice for all Americans.

Conference highlights include:

• An interactive opening plenary led by social media and nonprofit technology expert Beth Kanter. Kanter was named one of the most influential women in technology by Fast Company and is author of The Networked Nonprofit and Measuring the Networked Nonprofit. (1/16/13, 8:30-10 a.m.)
• “Lunch with ����51 President Jim Sandman.” (1/16/13, Noon – 1:30 p.m.)
• A plenary discussion on “Self-Help Systems and Unauthorized Practice,” featuring  Richard Granat, co-chair of the eLawyering Task Force of the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Management section,  and Marc Lauritsen, president of Capstone Practice Systems. (1/17/13, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.)
• 21 workshops on a range of issues such as building “responsive” websites; meeting the growing demand for language access services; innovations in pro bono; using video to reach clients; and effective management of TIG projects, including reporting and evaluation requirements.
• A quick-fire session featuring seven presentations covering a wide range of topics, from information management systems to Google Apps. (1/17/13, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.)

See the full 2013 TIG Conference Program Book, including session descriptions and presenter bios.

TIG conference Twitter hashtag: #����51TIG

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����51’s Technology Initiative Grants (TIG) program was authorized by Congress beginning in 2000. Through 2012, ����51 has made more than 525 TIG awards, totaling over $40 million. TIG funding has provided ����51 with a remarkable opportunity to explore new ways to serve eligible persons and to help build legal aid programs' capacities. It has supported projects to develop, test and replicate technologies that improve client access to high quality legal information and pro se assistance. It has also helped programs enhance their overall information technology infrastructure.

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