- This month’s newsletter is about technology and the law in times of crisis. As the Assistant Director or IT for the US Court of Federal Claims, you are on the front line of how the Court is addressing the ability of technology to be a useful tool in every day practice as well as a force of stability in the law during a national crisis such as COVID-19. Tell us a little about what you do day to day, and how that has changed with COVID-19?
Answer: My day to day responsibilities include overseeing technical projects in alignment with the court’s goals, I work very closely with information engineers to find solutions to manage the court activities and lead efforts to improve IT processes.
Covid -19 has tremendously changed the way we support our users, the most significant change to normal workflows was a new focus on remote access to centralized IT resources and the way we provide end-user support remotely.
- Where are you from? How long have you worked at the Court? Where did you work before? Did you view of the role of technology change once you joined the Court? If so, how?
Answer: My parents were in the military which required us to frequently move, when my parents retired, they decided to settle in Maryland. After graduating from University of Maryland, I started my IT career with the courts and have been serving the court for over 23 years. The role of technology for the courts over the years have evolved tremendously, from electronic filing, communications, courtroom technology and security.
- How do you think lawyers compare with other professions in the use of technology? Are there challenges unique to the law that you have experienced?
Answer: Lawyers are definitely more demanding than an average day to day user, they share the same challenges such as streamlining communications between the attorney and client, automating eDiscovery and simplifying case management.
- What role can the Bar play in assisting you in the development and use of technology in the law and the courtroom?
Answer: General overview training of the available courtroom technology and provides documentation. Feedbacks from participants will also be useful, these will help us identify the areas that we need to improve on.
- What is the role of the IT department in promoting and using technology in the courtroom generally as well as in times of crisis?
Answer: Our IT department plays an important role with bridging the gaps between courtroom technology and the users, during the pandemic we are now more reliant on utilizing communication tools such as WebEx, Microsoft Teams and Skype to conduct hearings and conferences.
Rapid Fire Round!
- Mac or PC?
Answer: Mac
- Top-three songs on your Spotify/I-tunes playlist?
Answer: RITMO (J. Balvin ), One Man Band ( Old Dominion ), You’re Somebody Else ( Flora Cash )
- Favorite place to longboard in the area?
Answer: Annapolis or BWI trail.
- Sail, paddle or power boat?
Answer: Power boat
- Stay-at-Home Binge: books or television?
Answer: Television – Netflix , Hulu, Disney, Amazon Video etc..
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Membership
The Bar Association provides its members numerous educational opportunities and opportunities for practitioners to meet and interact with the judges of the Court and colleagues from both public and private practice for these purposes. Our members work closely with the Court’s judges to develop programs, contribute to revisions of the Court’s Rules, and organize a broad range of educational and other activities.