Law firms and Microsoft tell legal-aid groups to use tools they already have to cut email and find files

Annie Helms, director and counsel for U.S. pro bono programs at DLA Piper, opened a panel advising legal-aid groups to prioritize knowledge-management practices built on existing tools rather than buying new platforms. The session, titled “knowledge management is not AI,” paired law-firm KM staff with Microsoft technologists and Legal Aid Chicago leaders to demonstrate practical steps for improving collaboration.

Helms said DLA Piper shifted from proposing AI training to focusing on how organizations can “work smarter” with tools they already pay for, and she credited Microsoft as a long-time pro bono partner. Vivian Hessel, chief information officer at Legal Aid Chicago, outlined the practical problems KM work aims to solve: change management, overflowing email inboxes used as document stores, difficulty searching files across case-management systems and personal folders, reluctance to share drafts, and staff concern about the responsible use of AI and transcription.

Elizabeth Capance, director of knowledge management at DLA Piper, described the firm's KM framework and examples of resources it maintains: precedent collections, reusable forms and automation, legal updates, workflow improvements, and multi-channel training (live sessions, recordings, office hours, and microlearning videos). She highlighted Athena, DLA Piper's SharePoint-based knowledge platform, as a model that the firm has adapted for pro bono teams and shown to partner organizations as a starting point for intranets.

Microsoft's Erin Latier demonstrated structured intake using Microsoft Forms and SharePoint lists, and explained when to choose a list (for repeated, collaborative entries with metadata and people columns) versus a form (for one-off external data collection). Panelists demonstrated that saving a document directly to SharePoint or OneDrive creates a single authoritative copy, and that SharePoint's metadata columns and library views allow cross-folder filtering and faster content discovery.

Speakers emphasized practical controls for sharing: the copy-link dialog can be adjusted to limit who can use a link, to set edit vs. read-only access, to disable downloads, and to expire access after a set time. They also described a rigorous infosec and data-privacy review DLA Piper applies before piloting GenAI assistants (requirements drafted in 2023), including training and a responsible-use acknowledgement before users gain access.

During audience questions, Legal Aid Chicago said it is piloting SharePoint lists for workflows that could include LSC-funded programs, and Microsoft offered to provide follow-up assistance and in-person help in Chicago. Panelists noted practical obstacles—some pro bono partners have firewalls that prevent opening SharePoint files—and recommended conversations with partner IT or requesting specific permission for files when possible.

The session closed with offers from the panel to continue conversations and to post demo resources and videos for attendees.

The panel leaves organizations with a clear, low-cost prescription: map your workflows, pick a single place to store authoritative documents, use metadata and lists to make content discoverable, adopt simple permission hygiene, and provide short, targeted training so staff can see immediate value.