MetaJure’s Angel JD impact investment program responds to proposed Legal Services Corp budget cuts

MetaJure has rolled out one of the first impact investing models in legal tech where an investment in our Series A immediately gets an equal dollar amount of free, efficiency-driving technology into the hands of our nation’s legal aid providers so that they can increase the number of clients they serve.

Although most tech companies wait until they grow into big corporations before thinking about corporate social responsibility, MetaJure has started early. A ‘social investment’ is any investment that seeks to produce a financial return to the investor while also producing a social good.

“Helping legal aid providers now is critical as according to the ABA, a staggering 80% of Americans can’t afford to hire a lawyer for their basic legal needs,” says MetaJure cofounder Marty Smith. “Recent political events have compounded the problem by increasing the need for legal advice on hate crimes and immigration. At the same time, President Trump’s proposed budget eliminates all funding for the Legal Services Corporation, the primary source of financial support for legal aid throughout the country.”

MetaJure’s board believes access to justice is a foundational pillar of our democracy. “Not surprisingly,” adds Smith, “We felt a strong desire to see what we could do to make a difference today.”

Since announcing the “Angel JDs” social investing program in December, MetaJure has funded installing MetaJure’s technology at Georgia Legal Services, Pine Tree Legal Assistance (Maine), Colorado Legal Services and Legal Aid Society of Orange CountyArkansas Legal Services and more are in the works.

Read interviews with Marty on Geekwire at http://bit.ly/2mKbBaE and EvolveLaw at http://bit.ly/2nZ2929 .