Consistent with its mission, the IOLA Fund seeks to ensure that every New Yorker with a civil legal problem has clear and timely access to high quality legal information, advice, and representation. IOLA has launched a “Justice Infrastructure Project” (or, the “Project”) that seeks to address the following aspects of the civil legal aid system in New York State:

1. People needing legal assistance often cannot easily identify sources of effective legal help.
2. When people do connect with appropriate legal aid organizations, the existing capacity constraints can often limit the ability for many people to receive legal information, advice, or representation sufficient to fully address their legal problem.
3. People needing legal assistance frequently reach out to multiple legal aid organizations that may not be the appropriate organization for their legal problem. This creates delays and frustration for those in need and inefficiencies in the civil legal aid delivery system.

IOLA grantees include legal aid organizations of varying size and scope that support and provide civil legal services in New York State. IOLA believes the Project will include increasing coordination among IOLA grantees to enhance the efficiency of the State’s civil justice system. This coordination is likely to be coupled with improved online resources and investments in grantee technology and infrastructure.

Scope of Services

To achieve the goals of increased coordination and efficiency, the IOLA Fund intends to award a one-year contract to a technology consulting company to address the immediate cybersecurity needs of IOLA grantees. IOLA expects that, during the term of the contract, the technology consultant will directly assist at least 15-25 IOLA grantees.