The Oklahoma Bar Journal August 2025

4) Technology Infrastructure: Internally, we will invest in upgraded systems to improve communication, grant processing and fund raising, ensuring that our organization can keep pace with the needs we seek to meet. Our survey report is just the beginning. In the coming months, the OBF will share deeper dives into regional data, promising prac tices 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. STAY TUNED

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 commu nication barriers, with the southeast reporting partic ular concerns. Clients with limited English skills struggle to find attor neys or materials in their primary language. This challenge seems especially prominent in the southwest. 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 technol ogy. Oklahoma attorneys, how ever, report great interest in online tools, like virtual consultations and self-help legal guides. This suggests that the right infrastruc ture and technology can help bridge the justice gap. TECHNOLOGY: BRIDGE OR BARRIER?

WHAT COMES NEXT? The insights from our survey report provide actionable next steps. The OBF has outlined sev eral key recommendations to turn this research into results: Collaboration: By build ing stronger partnerships with regional lawyers, bar associations and commu nity organizations, the OBF aims to increase impact at the local level. 2) Strategic Grantmaking: The OBF will look to prioritize 1) Community-Based community-based orga nizations 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 Capacity Building Grants: The OBF will explore new grants to support creative solutions, such as mobile legal clinics, virtual legal platforms and AI-assisted tools.

Ms. DeMoss is the executive director of the Oklahoma Bar Foundation.

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THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL