IMAGINE GRANT PROVIDES AI

The Legal Aid Society of Westchester County (LASW) has been selected as a winner of the 2024 Amazon Web Services (AWS) IMAGINE Grant, which is a public grant opportunity open to registered charities in the United Kingdom and Ireland and registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in the United States that are using technology to solve the world’s most pressing challenges.

The IMAGINE Grant provides invaluable support for LASW’s goals to use AWS’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies for the management of the vast amounts of information provided in each criminal case. Every day, LASW attorneys and staff sift through staggering amounts of discovery (information and evidence) on every case — including police reports, scientific reports and hundreds of hours of videos. 

The AWS technology will empower LASW to quickly and efficiently understand the discovery, use it effectively for plea negotiations and trials and prevent wrongful convictions. Knowledge is power and AI/ML technology will increase efficiencies, help lawyers more easily classify massive amounts of information and provide opportunities to better utilize the information in efforts to protect the Constitutional Rights of LASW’s clients.  

“We are honored that we have been awarded an IMAGINE grant from Amazon Web Services. By using this technology, which includes cutting-edge data management, we will be able to help prevent injustices in the legal system,” said Clare J. Degnan, executive director of the Legal Aid Society of Westchester County. “That’s what our work is all about, and we’re very excited to have access to this technology that will enhance the already outstanding work that our team does every day.”  

 The LASW provides free criminal and family court legal representation to persons who are unable to afford an attorney. It also handles appeals and post-conviction matters for its clients. Its staff is comprised of a leading team of experienced defense attorneys, family court attorneys, social workers, investigators and professional support individuals with a commitment and dedication to indigent criminal defense. 

Now in its seventh year, the AWS IMAGINE Grant provides vital resources to nonprofit organizations looking to deploy cloud technology as a central tool to achieve mission goals.