Many have said that the judiciary often trails the private sector in its use of technology. Courts have been attempting to close this gap but need the help of the technology sector to succeed. David Slayton and Jeff Aresty will discuss how the technology sector can get involved and what plans they have for hacking for justice in Texas.

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In May of 2012, David W. Slayton began serving in his current position as the Administrative Director for the Texas Office of Court Administration. Prior to this position, Mr. Slayton served as the Director of Court Administration for the Lubbock County District Courts and County Courts at Law for 8 years. He has been employed by the judicial branch in various roles for over 15 years. Previously, he served as Court Services Supervisor for the United States District Court, Northern District of Texas, in Dallas, Texas, and as a Trial Court Coordinator for the 99th District Court in Lubbock County. Mr. Slayton earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Texas Tech University and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Troy University. He is a 2007 Graduate Fellow of the Institute for Court Management, where he was chosen to deliver the commencement address on behalf of his class in the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Slayton received the 2008 Distinguished Service Award from the National Center for State Courts and the 2010 Robert O. Dawson Award for Indigent Defense. He has published an article entitled “An Analysis of the Effective Use of Jurors in Lubbock County” and was instrumental in the publication of the 2007 version of the National Association for Court Management’s Model Code of Conduct. He currently serves as the Immediate Past President of the National Association for Court Management’s Board and was formerly the Secretary on the Board of Directors for the Texas Association for Drug Court Professionals. In addition to the aforementioned organizations, Mr. Slayton is a member of the Texas Association for Court Administration.

Jeffrey M. Aresty, Esq. is a Massachusetts lawyer based in Houston, Texas and has been involved in international business law and the role of technology in the transformation of the practice of law for almost three decades. Mr. Aresty is the founder and current President of Internet Bar Organization (IBO) The IBO's mission is to use the Internet to promote legal and economic justice for all people.

Additionally, Mr. Aresty is a Fellow at the Center for Information Technology and Dispute Resolution at the University of Massachusetts. His involvement in the Center centers on promoting the use of online dispute resolution technology as an alternate to traditional methods. His ongoing law-technology activities concern (1) e-lawyering training, including ODR and (2) initiating global law reform in online communities.

Among Mr. Aresty’s accomplishments are initiating and directing the “ Computer College” program (1983-1987) that assisted lawyers in bringing computers into law practice and co-founding the ABA’s TECHShow in 1987. He co-edited two books on cross cultural influence in international business and e-commerce for the ABA, including “The ABA Guide to International Business Negotiations”. In his position as the Reporter of the ABA’s e-lawyering Task Force, Mr. Aresty wrote several articles on the technical, legal and practical implications of the practice of law in Cyberspace.