Technology

  • Plenary: Innovation and impact on the future of the profession

    Innovation and impact on the future of the profession

    Thursday, Sept. 14 | 10:30 - 11:45 a.m.
    Plenary Missouri Bar Annual Meeting

    Moderator: Mira Mdivani, Mdivani Corporate Immigration Law Firm LLC, Kansas City

    Panel: Ayyoub Ajmi, director of legal innovation and technology, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, Kansas City; Prof. Ryan W. Copus, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, Kansas City; Nicole M. Fisher, Fisher Law LLC and Drama-Free Divorce LLC, Kansas City; Hon. Samuel A. Thumma, Arizona Court of Appeals, Phoenix, Arizona 

    This program will explore how various kinds of innovation, including sustaining, low market and disruptive innovation, impact the future of lawyers, clients, and courts.  The panelists will discuss using new ideas and technology to improve existing practices, creating more affordable segments of the legal market, and creating new consumption of legal services and access to justice through innovation.

    Disclaimer: The information provided in this presentation is for educational purposes only. The opinions expressed in this presentation and on the following slides are solely those of the presenters and not necessarily those of our clients and partners.

  • Podcast: Is It Legal To - Legal Innovation

    In the latest episode of the “Is It Legal To…?” podcast, hosts Farrah Fite and Bob Priddy are joined by Ayyoub Ajmi from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law and Nicole Fisher of Fisher Law in Kansas City to discuss innovations in the legal field.

    Topics in this episode include:
    • “Do it yourself” legal kits.
    • Artificial intelligence in the legal field.
    • Online portals for orders of protection.
    • Resources for individuals representing themselves.

     

  • Repurposed Laptop Project

    This project, funded by a Title III Grant, consists of repurposing old Dell Latitude PP01L laptops into attractive digital exhibition platforms to be used at Tarrant County College Northeast Campus Library to support student success.

    Goals and objectives:

    • Develop a digital exhibition program open to students, faculty and staff providing exposure and recognition.
    • Increase library attendance and use of its services to support student success.
    • Market the library services and events among students, faculty and staff.
    • Provide exhibition users the opportunity to become part of a digital publishing project that will be housed in the TCC NE Library Archives.
  • Selwane.com le portail de la ville de Salé

    Selwane.com is a web portal dedicated to my home town Salé. It was launched in 2002 as a platform for news, culture and local events. Soon, it became a source for local and national news by excellence. The most popular section on the website was the coverage of the annual festivals in the country. I succeeded to gather a team to help maintain and feed the portal with exclusive content. By 2007 I launched Selwane.TV the webTV of the city (an award winning website) and amwaj that was dedicated to Bouregreg development project. Selwane.com and its sister websites are still available online as a precious archive.

  • Settatbladi.org le portail de l'Aita et chant populaire Marocain

    Settatbladi.org is a unique website dedicated entirely to “Al Aita”. I started this project with my father Ahmed Ajmi (photo) in 2007 by acquiring, digitalizing, and organizing old vinyl discs and cassettes.

    Now, Settatbladi.org receives contributions from all over the world. It has more than 2,000 songs, more than 600 photos and many lyrics. It also includes other endangered genres of music in Morocco like “Malhoun” and “Aita Jablia peut être trouvé ici.”

     

  • Student's Role in Driving Technology Adoption in Classrooms

    Google Glass

     

    Part of my job is to investigate new technologies and see how they can be used in an educational environment to improve teaching and learning. While the majority of faculty are averse to change and fear that adding new tech to their class will distract them and their students, others embrace the change and are constantly trying new delivery format and tools that will help their students achieve their learning and intellectual development.

    Over the years, I had the chance to experiment and introduce several new technologies to classrooms such as Google Glass, 360-degree cameras, and more recently drones. While the innovative aspect of technology was enough to drive attention to it, I couldn't make these tools permanent in the classroom. (You can read about the opportunities and challenges I faced with Google Glass and Kodak PixPro).

    However, one major factor that I have neglect was the student role in driving the adoption of these new technologies. I would have never considered this factor until I became a law student myself.

    Law students simply don't have any incentives to test or use any new technology while in school. There is a reason why first year students are not encouraged to work. They simply don't have time to do anything else. They can barely keep up with assignments and readings for their classes. Also, students in general study for the exam. While, my goal might be to find better tools for them to understand a subject. Their goal is to find the shortest route to get an A.

    This is mostly true in the core legal courses that have been taught in the same manners for decades.

    Students have more flexibility and an incentive to use new programs and tools in experiential learning courses. These courses are often not available to first year students, generally not required, and definitely not part of the Bar exam.

    While newly graduated law students will be immediately subject to the ABA Model Rules of Competence and will be required to show some understanding of technologies and be able to maintain that competency, law schools, by being stuck in the same old way of teaching, are missing the opportunity to instill technological curiosity early on their students' career.

  • Study Room Schedule Display

    study room schedule displayThe Study-Room Schedule Display is part of an ongoing initiative at the UMKC School of Law Leon E. Bloch Law Library where we are collaborating with graduate computer science students in developing web and mobile applications to improve productivity and communication.

    The goal of this particular project is to create an efficient system to manage the library study rooms by providing a real-time synchronization with the university room scheduling system AdAstra.

  • Switching from Macbook Pro to a Chromebook

    Google Chromebook Beta - circa 2011

    When Apple issued its MacBook Pro recall, because of battery overheating concerns, I decided to switch to Google Chromebook while it is being repaired. I have a couple of Chromebooks that we lend to students at the library. Chromebooks are perfect for basic day to day activities. I was wondering if it can replace my regular laptop. So I gave it a try.  

    I used a low-end Acer CB3-532 15-inch model. Other than the screen and mouse track, which are horrible, everything is working just fine. Since most Google Chromebooks now support Google Android Apps, you can practically access any extension you need. Another way to look at it, a Google Chromebook is like a 15-inch Android Smartphone with a keyboard and a mouse.   

    Native Chromebook applications work the best. Other Android applications designed for mobile phones are glitchy or just look awkward in a larger screen.  

    My first challenge was passwords management. It's overwhelming how many passwords I have accumulated over the years. This task was handled in the back-end by my default browser Mozilla Firefox. So, I decided to give Mozilla's password manager Lockwise a try. While it doesn't have a Google Chrome browser extension yet, I downloaded the Android version and it worked just fine.

    Next was email. I often check Outlook Exchange on a browser. With a few clicks, I'm usually able to send and receive emails pretty quickly. But this is not like Gmail, Outlook web version is limited. So I decided again to download Outlook for Android App. The app works great for tablets and it worked fine for a Chromebook as well.   

    Then I moved to Microsoft Office. I don't have Office 365 subscription with my Enterprise Account, so I had to rely on my personal account to access Word Online. For some reason, you can use Microsoft Word online for free but you need an active Office 365 subscription to use the mobile application. I'm familiar with Word Online, especially within Box environment. I use it all the time for collaboration or for quick word processing. However, the web version is not as feature rich as its desktop counterpart. A whole lot more is missing than I can ignore.  

    The limitations of Chromebook are also noticeable when it comes to advanced photo and video editing. While decent applications like Photoshop Express or Google’s acquisition Snapseed are available for mobile devices, their features are limited to lightweight work, mostly for social media consumption such as applying filters or text overlay. Don't even think about editing a video in a Chromebook.   

    What is clear, is that most of these legacy software that are built originally for desktop computers, unless they are redesigned for mobile devices from the ground up, they will never be able to provide the same experience. You end up with a lightweight solution that allows you to access files remotely on any device but barely do any work.  

    If the whole idea of a Chromebook is to be able to run Android applications then why do we even need another device to do that? Samsung and Huawei have built-in desktop mode for some of their flagship phones. This feature allows users to connect their smartphones to a monitor and peripherals creating a desktop computer powered by the device.   

    Another thing I should emphasize is that when you don't buy into a single ecosystem, you will be doing a lot of gymnastics to get your work done. Life is much easier if you have a G Suite subscription, use an Android phone, and don't mind handling your life over to Alphabet inc. or Apple, or Microsoft for that matter.  

  • Webinar: Family-Centered Fridays - AI Powered Chatbots

    Organized by the National Center for State Court. Discover how generative AI-powered chatbots can support families in court. Join us for an interactive session where Access to Justice Technologist and University of Missouri-Kansas City Law Professor Ayyoub Ajmi and NCSC's Alicia Davis will demonstrate how AI chatbots can break down barriers to justice, showcasing scenarios involving divorce and protection orders.

    Session takeaways:

    1. Understand how AI can help families engage in court processes
    2. Explore different types of chatbots and their roles in court settings, from navigation support to connecting with community resources
    3. Gain insights into creating trauma-informed AI tools
    4. Experience a live demo of an AI-powered chatbot and join our Q&A session, which will address concerns about privacy and confidentiality and explore additional applications for families.

    Moderator:

    • Alicia Davis, Principal Court Management Consultant, National Center for State Courts

    Presenter:

    • Ayyoub Aimi, Access to Justice Technologist and University of Missouri-Kansas City Law Professor
  • White Paper: Technology and Self-Help Centers in State Court Systems

    Technology and Self-Help Centers in State Court Systems. Assessing the Need and Offering Solutions

    This white paper examines the effectiveness of self-help tools offered by state court systems in response to the pandemic and describes the solutions CiviLaw.Tech offers to create a more robust technological response to the issues litigants face when representing themselves in court.

    Introduction:

    COVID-19 and the subsequent measures to limit its spread have had a disruptive effect on all aspects of our lives, including access to legal services and court operations. It strained an already overwrought CJ system, highlighting issues with case backlogs, evidence-sharing, and file storage.

    At the same time, COVID-19 was a catalyst for the court to accelerate the deployment of digital solutions, such as virtual hearings, electronic filing for attorneys, and in some states, the implementation of a centralized case management system. Thanks to grants from the state's Federal Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program, courts were able to respond to the immediate challenges caused by the pandemic.

    Still, the limitations of in-person access to resources (i.e. self-help centers, court libraries, and court clerks) and the dependence on paper-based processes continue to exacerbate the lack of access to legal services for self-help litigants, especially low-income citizens and those with time-sensitive matters, such as emergency protection orders.

    The impact of the last several years offers opportunities. This report reviews the varied ways that state court systems have attempted to meet the needs of the public. Some can be leveraged as best practices, while others highlight barriers that pose risks to achieving the optimum outcome of greater access to justice.

    Finally, this report outlines the solutions that CiviLaw.Tech can offer court systems, with highlights of systems already being used in several courts throughout the country.