ABA Journal

Legal Rebels

Introducing the 2017 Legal Rebels: A pattern of progress in access, efficiency and service


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Rebels bandana

Call it a banner (and bandanna) Legal Rebels year: This year's 13 rebels are providing new ways to help immigrants find legal assistance; businesses comply with accessibility laws; drivers deal with parking tickets and lawyers do their time billing—painlessly.


As usual, it’s an extraordinary list—now 134 people improving access to justice, helping lawyers work more efficiently and providing service to society.

The 2017 Legal Rebels are:

  • Ryan Alshak of Ping, an automated timekeeping program.
  • Alma Asay of Allegory Law, a litigation management software company.
  • Joshua Browder, creator of legal chatbot DoNotPay.
  • Felicity Conrad and Kristen Sonday of Paladin, a platform that helps organizations manage, staff and track pro bono efforts.
  • Lainey Feingold, who developed a collaborative framework for alternative dispute resolution.
  • Haben Girma, who consults with businesses, including law firms, on accessible products and services and on hiring people with disabilities.
  • Jake Heller, Pablo Arredondo and Laura Safdie of Casetext, a crowdsourced online legal reference.
  • Matthew Stubenberg creator of several software offerings to help legal aid and criminal justice programs.
  • Charles Kenji Whitehead, leader of a Cornell Law program bringing law students into the startup-creation process.
  • Mindy Yocum of the Yocum Law Office in Columbus, Ohio, which provides legal services for people of modest means.

And find more details about our Legal Rebels project at LegalRebels.com.

While you’re there, check out our past Rebels, find (or add) some legal practice strategies, read fresh ideas provided by our New Normal contributors and listen to podcasts, including our latest Trailblazer series speaking with the daring doers who were changing law practice before Legal Rebels began.

The Legal Rebels and Legal Rebels Trailblazers nominations are open year-round. Use the entry form on the LegalRebels.com website.

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