A CONFERENCE OF STATEWIDE PROGRAMS
February 8 - 9, 2002
Indianapolis, Indiana
Introduction
In the summer of 2001, LSC's State Planning Team determined that
there is a critical need to communicate clearly the key elements of
planning related to statewide legal services programs. The Team
suggested a national initiative to bring together executive
directors of statewide programs around the state planning agenda.
The goal was to focus executive directors on the fundamentals of
planning for client-centered, comprehensive, integrated statewide
justice communities. This initiative was specifically designed to
bring together executive leadership from newly created statewide
LSC-funded programs and the experienced leadership of the more
historical statewide programs. This peer group benefited from the
opportunity to come together to discuss the challenges and new
opportunities created by the processes of state planning.
Background
This meeting was originally scheduled for September 13 - 15,
2001, but was postponed in the aftermath of the September 11th
attack on the U.S.
LSC staff planned and coordinated this conference, and the
Corporation sponsored the participation of executive directors by
covering their travel costs. Additionally, programs were offered
the option of sending additional staff to the conference at their
own expense. Amidst a professional and amiable backdrop, the
conference was convened at the Marriott Hotel in downtown
Indianapolis, Indiana. A total of 31 program representatives
attended, and every statewide program was represented with the
exception of Idaho, whose executive director and senior management
were unable to attend. Also in attendance were representatives from
the Puerto Rico, Guam and Virgin Islands programs. Don Saunders
attended from the NLADA.
LSC staff in attendance included Randi Youells, Vice President
for Programs; Mauricio Vivero, Vice President for Government
Relations/Public Affairs; Michael Genz, Director of the Office of
Program Performance; Robert Gross, Senior Program Counsel, State
Planning Team; Althea Hayward, State Planning Team (Diversity);
Melissa Pershing, State Planning Team (who, with input and
assistance from OPP staff, prepared and coordinated the agenda);
and assistants Wendy Burnette and Lynn Wilson, who were responsible
for conference logistics, registration, and on-site conference
assistance.
Indiana Legal Services (ILS) Executive Director Norman Metzger
and Colleen Cotter, Director of the ILS Indiana Justice Center,
were marvelous hosts. The General Counsel to Indiana's Chief
Justice attended Mauricio Vivero's presentation on Public Relations
and Friday's lunch. The Chief Justice also testified to the Indiana
judiciary's keen interest in and support for Indiana Legal Services
and the provision of pro bono by the private bar. On Friday
evening, conference participants were joined by the ILS Board,
judges, and bar leaders (including the new executive director of
the Indiana Bar Foundation) for dinner. The President-Elect of the
Indiana State Bar spoke eloquently and at length about her support
for legal services and pro bono.
The Conference
Randi Youells, Vice President for Programs, provided opening and
closing remarks for the conference; and an LSC update during lunch.
Her timely comments set a tone for open and extensive information
sharing and collaboration. A copy of the conference agenda is
included with this Report as Attachment A.
Friday, February 8, 2002
Session I - Three Statewide Models - A Panel Presentation
This session provided participants with a snapshot of three
statewide programs, and focused on "Planning for Client Centered,
Comprehensive, Integrated, State-wide Justice Communities."
Executive Directors Nan Heald (Maine), Patrick McIntyre
(Washington) and Jon Asher (Colorado) spoke from the perspectives
of a longtime statewide program (Maine); a state that was
reconfigured several years ago (Washington); and, a newly
reconfigured statewide (Colorado). Each provided a perspective on
developing a vision, setting goals and determining strategies for
achieving access to a full range of civil legal services. Each
emphasized three central themes:
1) The imperative that each state must have a vision that
encompasses a full range of services;
2) The challenge of orienting existing staff to a new or
changing vision, inculcating the vision and mission within the
staff, and, uniting staff (old and new) over a common vision,
whether in a single office or scattered office setting; and,
3) The challenge of balancing vision with fiscal reality,
recognizing that as funds remain static or decline, the need for
collaboration increases and, at the same time, the threat of
fractionalization increases.
Session II - Group Discussion
A group discussion, facilitated by Robert Gross and Melissa
Pershing, followed. The discussion provided a forum for
participants to share thoughts, challenges and best practices in
the context of developing and fostering a statewide vision.
Participants suggested that statewide program leadership needed
to be able to:
•
Talk consistently and constantly about vision and
quality;
•
Set high expectations for staff;
•
Delegate appropriate management functions so that the
Executive Director can be a visible leader among staff and the
greater equal justice community;
•
Work closely with the state court system, and get
involved in collaborations;
•
Build on the program strengths that already
exist;
•
Seek assistance from experienced consultants;
•
Visualize state planning holistically;
•
Know that there are positive long-term advantages that
ensue from the state planning initiative;
•
Perform environmental scans for information vital to the
creation of a statewide vision;
•
Appreciate and respect the differences in office and
staff culture and use them as a genesis for a unified
vision;
•
Think critically about how to unify systems-noting that
sometimes uniformity is necessary, and sometimes it is not
appropriate;
•
Understand that the pursuit of justice is different from
the pursuit of access to justice.
Session III - Press & Public Relations
Mauricio Vivero, Vice President of Governmental Affairs/Public
Relations, presented a session that focused on how programs can
develop effective public relations campaigns. Focusing on the
findings of the national Russenello research, Mr. Vivero encouraged
participants to use the media to publicize meaningful program
events. He stressed the importance of getting the right message
out, delivered by the most credible and prominent spokesperson(s).
Participants formed small discussion groups and brainstormed about
events or ideas that could form the basis for a program's media
campaign.
On Friday afternoon, the conference agenda consisted of thematic
discussions or mini-sessions that provided an exposition of the
state planning concept, entitled, "Breaking the Concept into Parts
-Client-Centered, Comprehensive, Integrated, Statewide."
Session IV -Client Centered
This discussion was co-facilitated by Colleen Cotter (Indiana
Legal Services) and Robert Gross (LSC) and focused on the
challenges of creating a service delivery model that is
client-centered through client leadership in the state planning
process and through client involvement on boards of directors.
Session V -Comprehensive
Marilyn McNamara (New Hampshire) and Adrienne Worthy (West
Virginia) facilitated this discussion. It provided a forum for
sharing how programs can build bridges with other equal justice
providers and explored the need for creativity in forming
partnerships and collaborations that may consist of unusual
associations.
Session VI -Integrated
Anne Milne (Utah) and Roger McCollister (Kansas) facilitated
this discussion on innovative ways to integrate and combine
fundraising to produce a creative resource development program.
VII -Statewide
Norman Metzger (Indiana) and Janet Millard (Wyoming) facilitated
this session, which included defining the term "statewide" and
discussion of various statewide program models. The session also
examined the impact of planning and creation of a vision on pro
bono involvement, leveraging human resources, and related service
delivery issues.
Saturday, February 9, 2002
VIII -Technology
Rhonda Lipkin (Maryland), Victor Geminiani (Hawaii), Nan Heald
(Maine) and Mike Genz (LSC) presented this session.
1) Maryland Legal Assistance Network (MLAN) - Rhonda Lipkin
provided a demonstration of www.peoples-law.org and
www.Mdjustice.org, which is designed to be a virtual library.
2) Hawaii -Victor Geminiani demonstrated how video conferencing
is being used extensively by staff and clients to serve six
islands. A hotline is the gateway to a self help center offering
court forms, a web page, 120 self-help packets, phone advice,
clinics, and outcomes follow-up.
3) Maine -Nan Heald provided a demonstration of
www.helpmelaw.org with smart search capability and www.ptla.org,
the Pine Tree Legal Assistance site. All client leadership in Maine
has email. They found volunteers who will translate documents for
free at www.volunteermatch.org.
4) LSC - Michael Genz provided an overview of LSC's technology
efforts: 1) The TIG (Technology Initiative Grants) program is
developing templates for statewide websites. Indiana is studying
document assembly software, and Illinois is studying the
combination of audio-video conferencing with document assembly. 2)
Shared National TIG grants include the National Technical
Assistance Project (NTAP), creation of www.lstech.org, and
development of measurement and evaluation tools,
www.legalmeetings.org. 3) Mr. Genz announced the deadlines for this
year's TIG Requests For Proposals.
IX -Diversity
Co-facilitated by Teresa Cosby (South Carolina) and Althea
Hayward (LSC), this discussion focused on the importance of
embracing cultural diversity, leadership succession planning, and
the general expansion of program leadership, especially as a part
of a state planning initiative.
Transformation: An Overarching Achievement Identified
It was obvious from the remarks made by a number of recently
merged states that some kind of critical phase had been passed.
Participants recognized that programs were turning or had turned
that critical corner--from being resistant to or resentful of
change to an embracing of new visions by staff, board members and
other stakeholders. Participants shared experiences about these
transformations and acknowledged the benefits of reconfiguration,
as programs complete the critical work of reorganization.
The Future
Participants have already been provided detailed contact
information so that they can network and follow-up with others who
attended the conference. LSC asked attendees to identify what they
feel would be the next appropriate steps. A report of the
conference will also be provided to all participants complete with
a package containing handouts. This information will also be shared
with LSC's OPP staff.
A total of 14 completed evaluations were received from
participants. All were unanimous in their praise and appreciation
for the statewide conference, and expressed a desire for an annual
or semi-annual conference of this nature to be held either in
person or with the use of videoconferencing. Several suggested that
separate break-out sessions could be developed for long-time
statewides and recently merged statewides, which would allow more
time, attention and specifically tailored agendas and discussions
for both. It was also noted that not all programs were "state"wides
and that perhaps there would be value in getting the island
programs together (Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands,
Micronesia and Guam) since they face similar delivery issues.
• Ideas from both attendees and staff for additional follow-up
included:
i. Regional leadership conferences - small intense retreat-like
group meetings of Executive Directors plus 1 or 2 identified
potential leaders from each of
iv.
Mentoring/exchange program for newer leaders or leaders
who could benefit from exposure to other programs;
v.
Online leadership clearinghouse with links to non-profit
management and leadership sites and materials, M.I.E.
etc.
vi. Resources, protocols and guidelines for conducting
meaningful statewide needs assessment;
vii. More regional meetings and meetings of "like" programs,
i.e., rural with rural, or small with small - for mutual problem
solving;
viii. Directory of statewide programs that includes information
such as number of employees, number of offices,
amount/percentage/type of funding, level of tech usage, types of
services, collaborations/partnerships, etc. that would allow us to
look for a comparable program to brainstorm a particular issue;
ix. A place to share materials, information and best practices
documents, orientation packages, training ideas.
Many attendees also asked for additional information on the
following topics:
•
Technology; technology innovations; technology connecting
state government, courts, agencies and programs; technology as a
means of outreach; technology use between
programs/offices.
•
Resource development/fundraising ideas.
•
Public relations initiatives.
•
Internal/staff communications.
•
Ways to establish and maintain a statewide equal access
committee.
Final comments (from one participant's evaluation):
"The real challenge in legal services today is how to change and
expand our mission through new and innovative approaches to the
poverty around us. I feel this can be done within the current LSC
restrictions but it requires entirely new approaches and
combinations of services. I would encourage an agenda that
challenges us to change and expand our mission. Change is
good."
