Wow! A lot can happen in one year. We’re so excited by the developments of 2017.
Pro Bono Catalog. We launched the Pro Bono Catalog across Florida, and over 150 people received legal assistance because of Florida Pro Bono Matters.
Pro Se Expungement Help. We began developing Pro Se Sealing and Expungement software in partnership with Jacksonville Area Legal Aid.
Patent Granted. We were granted a patent for the timekeeping device that we invented.
Startup Alley. We were honored to receive an invitation to the ABA Techshow Startup Alley. in March, where we will join a pitch competition in Chicago with 14 other legal tech companies.
The genesis of the Pro Bono Catalog was the brainchild of The Florida Bar Foundation. With their support, we built a platform for attorneys to browse for pro bono opportunities. All over Florida, attorneys have selected cases from their local pro bono program to help someone in need. In 2018, we hope to expand the Pro Bono Catalog to include more states, more cases, and most importantly, to help more people.
Document assembly is a term that’s really hot in legal tech, but understandably so. Assisting pro se litigants with creating forms and documents they can file themselves could help close the justice gap. In collaboration with Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, we are building a software system to help Floridians recognize whether they qualify for sealing or expunging their criminal record. This project codenamed, Florida Fresh Start, will go public in May of 2018.
In November, we had a huge surprise. After almost two years of waiting, the USPTO approved our Patent for TotemTimer. TotemTimer is a mechanical time-keeping device that we conceived of to help lawyers track their time. After talking to lots of people, we’ve learned that the device would be useful to teachers, federal contractors, designers, and so many other professions. We’re building the first TotemTimers, and we look forward to putting our patent to good use.
The final thrill of 2017 came in mid-December. The American Bar Association’s Techshow is one of the premier legal technology conferences in the US. Each year they invite 15 legal tech startups to have a booth at the conference and compete in a pitch competition. I’m so excited that SavvySuit will join Startup Alley in March at the ABA Techshow. We intend to make good use of the publicity, and keep growing the company.
So, what’s next?
In 2018, we will speak at the LSC Technology and Innovation Conference (in January), the ABA Techshow (in March), and the Equal Justice Conference (in May). In addition to those, we will manufacture our first TotemTimers, and continue developing our current products. We look forward to what 2018 has in store for us, and we thank you all for your continued help and support on this journey.