The Legal Electronic Discovery Institute (LEDI), a Washington-based non-profit promoting the development of standards and education in the field of legal electronic documents and discovery, has joined forces with the Louisiana State Bar Association (LSBA) and the American Bar Association Law Practice Management Section (ABA LPM) to assist Louisiana attorneys and law firms in rebuilding their practices in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Central to their rebuilding efforts is a free two-day legal technology super session being held in New Orleans May 22-23.

The primary goal of the two-day session titled "New Orleans, New Law: Community Revival with Technology" is to jump start the areas’ legal revitalization and to teach attorneys about the technology tools and resources they can access and utilize to get them back on their feet.

Following the event, the organizations will also establish a centrally-based technology resource center, to help displaced lawyers revitalize and maintain their practices. The resource center will give those displaced attorneys a place to meet clients, and give them access to resources not available at their homes or temporary office spaces, including equipment and various technology resources..

In a press release announcing the conference, attorney Donna Fraiche, shareholder at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, and appointed by Gov. Kathleen Blanco to the board of directors of her Louisiana Recovery Authority, upon hearing of the upcoming efforts to help Louisiana lawyers said, "New Orleans is America’s city and right now it needs the attention of America. Our legal community suffered a grave blow but we have a strong resolve and with a little bit of help, we will be back on our feet."

“There are roughly 17,000 attorneys in Louisiana, half of whom work in greater New Orleans. All of those were displaced by the hurricane and the majority of them need a great deal of assistance in rebuilding their practice,” said Tom O’Connor, LEDI’s Director and one of the super session's key planners, in the press release.

For more information on support and sponsorship opportunities, visit the Legal Electronic Document Institute Web site at www.legal-edocs.org or the ABA Law Practice Management Section Web site at www.lawpractice.org.

Those interested in making donations to help support these efforts should visit the Legal Electronics Document Institute online.

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