Legal services are facing an age of service renewal as technology infiltrates every corner of our existence. While technological advances can seriously improve the delivery of legal services, it can also lead to unintended consequences particularly for those who receive the legal services. Why?
Because creating legal technology inherently contains bias. Well, creating any technology can potentially contain bias. The good part is that there are ways to guard against, improve, and remove any biases that may exist. This is of utmost important when the legal technology is created for or legal services are being delivered to, vulnerable populations, such as, low-income, women, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex.
As a result of my fellowship, I have learned about the importance of user testing and quality assurance. Everyone can do their part in creating legal technology or in delivery of legal services.
There are legal services organizations with awareness of LGBT needs and geared specifically for to support LGBTQ, check them out:
New York Legal Assistance Group
Anyone can become an ally and advocate too. There are other support groups and organizations that bring visibility and support to the LGBT community. Visit Everyone Is Gay to gain understanding and remember that no matter what we are human and as humans that’s the greatest commonality of all. Or Human Rights Campaign.
At the end of the day, there must be justice for all and justice begins with you.