Time sure flies—we’re quickly approaching our fourth annual CodeX FutureLaw Conference on May 20!  So it’s time to start the countdown! For the next weeks, we’ll be profiling the upcoming panels! The event will kick off at 8 a.m. at the Stanford Law School’s Paul Breast Hall. (This may sound sales-y, but don’t dally—it is expected to fill up quickly!)

After opening remarks from Stanford Law School’s Dean Elizabeth Magill and Executive Director Roland Vogl, James “Jim” Sandman will take the stage for the opening keynote at 9:15 a.m.

Sandman has served as president of the Legal Services Corp. since 2011 and is a passionate advocate for underserved Americans who often can’t find or afford legal services. Last year, right after the CodeX Futurelaw 2015, the American Bar Association held its National Summit on Innovation in Legal Services at Stanford. Sandman was on one of the last panels of a three-day event, and he blew the proverbial roof off with his inspiring and enlightening comments.

Of particular interest to our CodeX crowd, Sandman is very vocal about the importance of technology to accomplish the goals of legal accessibility to all. He also advocates for online legal services and limited law licenses.

Last summer, Sandman agreed to an interview with Bloomberg Big Law Business. Some of his quotes provide a hint as to why he is so compelling:

> “Eighty percent of Americans can’t find—or afford—legal services, even for crucial life events such as home foreclosure, domestic abuse, child protection, etc.”

> “Technology allows us to push out information to the public that was previously accessible only to lawyers.”

> “Our regulatory system stultifies innovation and constricts the ability of competent, qualified non-lawyers to provide assistance to clients in the way that nurses and physicians’ assistants provide medical care to patients.”

(Read the full article here.)

Sandman (no relation to Mariano Rivera) practiced law at Arnold & Porter for 30 years, including 10 years as Managing Partner). He was General Counsel for the District of Columbia Public Schools from 2007 to 2011, and he is past president of the D.C. Bar and served on the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, among his many activities. In 2008, he was named as one of the “90 Greatest Washington Lawyers of the Last 30 Years,” by ALM’s LegalTimes.

So be sure you don’t get caught in traffic whether you are traveling via car, train, Uber, taxi, bike or walking!  You don’t to miss a minute!

FutureLaw Conference links:
• FutureLaw Conference 2016
• About
• FutureLaw Registration
• Agenda
• Speakers
• Location & Parking
• Main CodeX website

Want more?
• “The Circuit: California Dreaming,” Above The Law.
• “LSC’s James Sandman: We Need Technology & Paraprofessionals,” Bloomberg BNA Big Law Business.
•  “ABA National Summit: ‘Innovations Within the Legal Sphere,'” Legal Talk Network.
• “Washington state moves around UPL, using legal technicians to help close the justice gap,” Robert Ambrogi, ABA Journal.
• “Legends in the Law: James J. Sandman,” Washington Lawyer.
• “The 90 Greatest Washington Lawyers of the Last 30 Years,” LegalTimes.

Monica Bay is a CodeX Fellow and a member of the California bar. She is also a freelance writer for Bloomberg BNA Big Law Business, a columnist at Above The Law, and others; a co-host (with Robert Ambrogi) at Legal Talk Network; and a consultant/analyst. Email: mbay@codex.stanford.edu. Twitter: @MonicaBay 

Cover image: Clipart.com