Leslie Briggs

In a dynamic summer at LawHelpMN, I immersed myself in the construction of an interactive triage platform. This novel site aims to seamlessly guide users through an interview, ensuring they receive precise information tailored to their needs and are efficiently referred to legal resources. The portal promises organizations a centralized platform where they can curate their service offerings, intake criteria, and regional operational areas. A particularly engaging segment of my work revolved around the LiveChat, where I assisted 58 users, leading them to pertinent resources and legal services. My engagement extended beyond the virtual realm as I participated in two advice clinics, offering legal counsel to 6 clients. One tangible outcome from my research efforts was the drafting of a fact sheet demystifying the utilization of notaries. Two experiences stand out vividly. Firstly, meticulously matching self-help resources to specific legal topic IDs, despite its apparent monotony, was immensely rewarding. By systematically reviewing, categorizing, and logging each resource from the old website, I was setting the stage for a fluid uploading process in the fall, ensuring the new site's seamless launch. The entire exercise epitomized the importance of structured backend work to frontend user experience. Secondly, the immigration clinic was a refreshing change. Offering immediate advice on diverse immigration matters, I could directly impact clients. It offered a profound perspective on the broader landscape of free legal assistance, particularly contrasting our brief advice clinics with those in Minneapolis. Through these undertakings, I garnered a holistic appreciation for the synergies between tech-infused solutions and direct legal advisories in extending assistance to those in need. ‍