Ep 159: Pro Bono Net Cofounder Mark O’Brien on Technology As A ‘Force Multiplier’ For Meeting Legal Needs

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For 23 years,</span> <a href= "https://www.probono.net/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pro Bono Net</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">has been working to harness the potential of technology to connect pro bono attorneys to those most in need of their services and to provide legal tools to help individuals advocate for themselves. In 2021 alone, the non-profit helped more than 8.4 million people connect to a legal resource and helped self-represented individuals create more than 900,000 legal documents and court forms. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It does this through state-level programs such as</span> <a href= "https://www.lawhelp.org/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">LawHelp.org</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">, which connects people to legal aid programs and self-help tools, and</span> <a href= "https://tenanthelpny.org/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">TenantHelpNY.org</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">, which helps tenants avoid eviction; national programs such as</span> <a href= "https://www.citizenshipworks.org/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Citizenshipworks.org</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">, which helps people apply for citizenship, and</span> <a href="https://www.olmsteadrights.org/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">OlmsteadRights.org</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">, which provides legal resources for people with disabilities; and tools such as</span> <a href= "https://www.probono.net/our-work/individuals/lhi/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">LawHelp Interactive</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">, which is used by programs across the country to help individuals create legal documents. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our guest today,</span> <a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mhpob/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Mark O’Brien</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">, cofounded Pro Bono Net together with</span> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mhertz/"><sp