AUGUST 2025 | 85 THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL Low-income clients remain at a significant disadvantage due to affordability and the limited availability of pro bono resources. Clients with disabilities face physical and communication barriers, with the southeast reporting particular concerns. Clients with limited English skills struggle to find attorneys or materials in their primary language. This challenge seems especially prominent in the southwest. TECHNOLOGY: BRIDGE OR BARRIER? Though technology offers new opportunities to reach remote or underserved communities, many people do not have ready access to computers and the internet in these regions, and they have low literacy rates in the use of technology. Oklahoma attorneys, however, report great interest in online tools, like virtual consultations and self-help legal guides. This suggests that the right infrastructure and technology can help bridge the justice gap. WHAT COMES NEXT? The insights from our survey report provide actionable next steps. The OBF has outlined several key recommendations to turn this research into results: 1) Community-Based Collaboration: By building stronger partnerships with regional lawyers, bar associations and community organizations, the OBF aims to increase impact at the local level. 2) Strategic Grantmaking: The OBF will look to prioritize community-based organizations tackling elder law, housing, family law and immigration issues. Attention will be given to regional disparities, such as consumer debt relief in the southwest and rural access in the northwest. 3) Innovation and CapacityBuilding Grants: The OBF will explore new grants to support creative solutions, such as mobile legal clinics, virtual legal platforms and AI-assisted tools. 4) Technology Infrastructure: Internally, we will invest in upgraded systems to improve communication, grant processing and fundraising, ensuring that our organization can keep pace with the needs we seek to meet. STAY TUNED Our survey report is just the beginning. In the coming months, the OBF will share deeper dives into regional data, promising practices from grantees and examples of impact in action. We invite you to stay engaged, lend your voice and help expand access to justice for all Oklahomans. You can access the survey report at https://bit.ly/4nUT2vm. Ms. DeMoss is the executive director of the Oklahoma Bar Foundation.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTk3MQ==