Congressman Neil Abercrombie today announced a $460,000 special technology grant to the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii (LASH).

The grant was awarded by the federally funded Legal Services Corporation, a private nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1974 to help low income persons gain access to justice.

LASH will use the $460,000 grant to create a partnership called Technology for Equal Justice. It will: (1) set up video work stations in remote areas of the state to permit face-to-face interaction between lawyers and clients; (2) create a web site to provide clients with access to self-help materials, volunteer lawyers, translators, and service agencies; and (3) establish a statewide telephone hotline referral system.

"I’m very pleased that Legal Aid will be taking advantage of technology to strengthen its services," said Abercrombie, a long time supporter of Legal Aid funding. "Equal access to justice is the cornerstone of our legal system. This grant gives LASH the means to bring that ideal a big step closer to realization here in Hawaii."