Model Practices & Innovations
LSC's Model Practices & Innovations page offers numerous resources on providing and managing legal services, legal aid technology, and strategic planning.
In this project brief, learn how the Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia leveraged Housing Justice Program Fellows to provide focused legal assistance to housing communities in southeastern Virginia.
Learn about the insights that seasoned legal aid executive directors have to offer from their experiences running their organizations. During a recorded panel during LSC’s 50th Anniversary Celebration in April 2024, these experienced leaders shared insights on how they adapted to change, the key issues facing legal aid, and what advice they want to pass on to future legal aid leaders.
Learn about building, implementing, and sustaining pro bono training programs with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA). This case study highlights the Pro Bono Training Institute, a free, online training platform for pro bono attorneys and legal advocates to receive easily digestible training on legal aid topics. Click below to read more.
Wondering how AI tools factor into your work as a legal aid organization? Learn more about the practical considerations that can help you plan ahead and avoid challenges when integrating AI into your business processes and systems. Click below to read more in this handy infographic.
Explore new MPI resources and articles on legal aid topics like technology, management, bridging the digital divide, evictions, and more!
Colorado Legal Services: Shaping Stories through Impact Advocacy and Litigation
Learn how Colorado Legal Services used strategic litigation and amicus briefs to conduct statewide impact advocacy in this case study.
Grantee Fundraising Tips Video
This Model Practices & Innovations video highlights tips, strategies, and tools LSC grantees can utilize to enhance their fundraising efforts. The information in this video comes from the report LSC Technology Baselines: Technologies that Should Be in Place in a Legal Aid Office Today.
Case Study: Montana Legal Services Association’s Tribal Advocacy Incubator Program
Learn how the Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) established, piloted, and sustained its Tribal Advocacy Incubator Project to expand legal services in tribal communities by training tribal lay advocates.
Info Sheet: Legal Services of Eastern Missouri’s Neighborhood Advocacy Program
This info sheet highlights Legal Services of Eastern Missouri’s Neighborhood Advocacy Program! The Neighborhood Advocacy Program leveraged a Pro Bono Innovation Funding grant to expand its place-based pro bono partnerships, focusing on reducing neighborhood property vacancies in St. Louis, MO.
Info Sheet: Cleveland Legal Aid Fundraising
In this info sheet, The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, commonly known as Cleveland Legal Aid, shares its fundraising tactics, covering key areas like donor retention strategies, fundraising event planning, and establishing fundraising goals and metrics to evaluate success.
Community Justice Workers: Alaska Legal Services Corporation
This Model Practices & Innovations article features Alaska Legal Services Corporation's Community Justice Worker (CJW) Program, which trains attorney-supervised allied legal professionals to provide legal services in their own remote and rural communities.
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Plan Strategically
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Management
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Technology
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MPI Resource Archive
Strategic planning is especially critical in times of limited resources when the demand for service continues to rise. Strategic planning starts with an assessment of the most pressing legal needs and covers internal management, organization mission growth, and relations with your local community.
Learn how to:
- Conduct needs assessments and set priorities
- Develop and implement strategic plans
- Evaluate your organization's effectiveness and make adjustments
Legal aid organizations should treat those seeking assistance and clients accepted for services with dignity and compassion. Effective representation begins with a relationship of mutual trust and respect. Everyone at your legal aid organization should continually strive to maximize the effectiveness of legal services and achieve meaningful and lasting results on behalf of clients.
Learn how to:
- Provide client access and conduct intake
- Engage diverse populations
- Provide language access
- Represent clients effectively
- Manage and supervise legal work
- Engage volunteers
- Assist unrepresented people in your community
A well-run legal aid organization is governed by a committed and involved board of directors that exercises independent judgment in carrying out its fiduciary responsibility to the organization. Key leadership, starting with the executive director, sets the tone for excellence by establishing a shared vision and mission and managing efficiently and effectively so that resources are preserved and allocated to achieve the greatest impact in the community.
Learn how to:
- Achieve effective board governance
- Lead effectively
- Manage and administer the organization
- Use technology
- Establish responsible financial management
- Communicate effectively internally and externally
- Continue to grow resources
The use of technology in legal aid programs is constantly evolving in ways that increase efficiency and enhance service delivery for LSC grantees. The Best Practices Corner’s technology resources are designed to help grantees understand the current state of technology in legal aid offices, plan for future developments, and review successful projects and systems.
Find previously released editions of the MPI Quarterly Newsletter here.
Visit this webpage to access resources shared by LSC grantees on topics such as needs assessments, strategic plans, technology solutions, and more.
Training & Technical Assistance Team
The Office of Program Performance