OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Everlaw, the cloud-native investigation and litigation platform, announces an expansion of its Everlaw for Good Program – including its first-ever program director, greater investments and access to its cutting-edge generative AI features – aimed at fostering a fairer legal system by removing financial and operational barriers to equitable access to justice. Everlaw is announcing this at the 2024 Equal Justice Conference in Detroit.
Statistics reveal a stark reality: only 24% of civil cases in U.S. state courts have representation on both sides, and a staggering 92% of civil legal problems encountered by low-income Americans remain unresolved. Despite the right to representation in criminal cases being enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, public defenders carry five times the workload considered acceptable for effective representation.
Everlaw for Good aims to help address these and other systemic challenges by providing free and discounted access to the company’s world-class litigation and investigative software to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations, pro bono practices and investigative journalists focused on justice issues often overlooked by market forces.
Since 2017, Everlaw has contributed approximately $2.75 million in platform services for the program and empowered more than 125 organizations to streamline their operations and amplify their impact. With social impact expert Joanne Sprague now at the helm as its first-ever director, the program aims to grow cases supported by 60% in the next year and deliver $1 million in in-kind platform services.
“Justice is a foundational element of a functional society, but it is only truly served when all parties can stand on equal footing, regardless of resources,” said Sprague, director of Everlaw for Good. "We recognize the critical need to address the disparities in legal representation, particularly for those who are underserved or marginalized. Everlaw for Good is our commitment to making a tangible difference in creating a more just society."
Organizations in the Everlaw for Good Program include:
- Center for Justice & Accountability – The nonprofit has investigated and litigated human rights crimes in Latin America and beyond. Everlaw allows the Center to punch above its weight, according to Daniel McLaughlin and Claret Vargas, senior staff attorneys.
- Civil Rights Corps – Civil Rights Corps is a nonprofit organization dedicated to challenging systemic injustice within the American legal system, and has said they can’t imagine what it would have been like if they didn’t have the investigative functions of Everlaw.
- Orrick – The pro bono team at Orrick manages the advocacy work of the firm's nearly 1,100 lawyers. They give a voice to the voiceless and achieve "almost immediate results" with Everlaw, as seen in this video.
- The Animal Legal Defense Fund is pursuing an impact litigation against a roadside zoo, alleging injury and killing of big cats in violation of the Endangered Species Act. Everlaw has enabled the fund to uncover key documents in the litigation.
- Wilson Sonsini – Everlaw is a force-multiplier for nonprofits and law firms doing important pro bono work, said Luke Liss, Pro-Bono Partner at Wilson Sonsini.
Everlaw Founder and CEO AJ Shankar said, "Our mission at Everlaw is to empower legal professionals with innovative solutions that promote justice by illuminating the truth. Through Everlaw for Good, we are extending our mission to support organizations and cases to help level the playing field for justice.”
Generative AI’s Impact on the Justice Gap
Everlaw also welcomes organizations in the Everlaw for Good program to join the EverlawAI Assistant beta program to use the company's generative AI features. A recent study by U.C. Berkeley School of Law found that 90% of legal aid pilot participants reported increased productivity using paid GenAI tools, suggesting that generative AI tools can significantly enhance legal professionals and potentially narrow the justice gap.
"GenAI poses a risk of increasing inequities in our justice system,” said James Sandman, President Emeritus of the Legal Services Corporation and Distinguished Lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. “Without equal access, lawyers for wealthy parties will have powerful new tools available to them that are off-limits to lawyers for low-income people. Getting AI tools into the hands of legal aid lawyers is critical. The legal and tech industries must be sure that the legal aid community has both access to and training in GenAI – or else the justice gap will only widen."
Everlaw’s program focuses on these six areas: Low Income Populations, Civil Rights, Civil Liberties, Human Rights, Public Rights and Environmental Rights. For more information about Everlaw for Good and its impact, visit https://www.everlaw.com/everlaw-for-good/
About Everlaw
Everlaw helps legal teams navigate the increasingly complex ediscovery landscape to chart a straighter path to the truth. Trusted by Fortune 100 corporate counsel, 91 of the Am Law 200, and all 50 state attorneys general, Everlaw's combination of intuitive experience, advanced technology, and partnership with customers empowers organizations to tackle the most pressing technological challenges—and transform their approach to discovery and litigation in the process. Founded in 2010 and based in Oakland, Calif., Everlaw is funded by top-tier investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, CapitalG, HIG Growth Partners, K9 Ventures, Menlo Ventures, and TPG Growth. Follow us on LinkedIn.