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A hackathon is an event, typically lasting 24-48 hours, in which a large number of people (software programmers, user experience designers, data scientists, project managers, and subject matter experts) meet to engage in competitive collaborative computer programming around a specific set of challenges. Teams that create the most meaningful and innovative solutions under the specific judging criteria are rewarded at the culmination of the event.

Continue Reading On the Fence about Legal Hackathons? Try one out for Yourself!!

Screen Shot 2016-08-14 at 5.28.12 PMIn an earlier post, I set out a bold vision for the launch of the Access to Justice Technology Fellowship Program. This fellowship program will provide law students with an experiential understanding of the access to justice issues facing Americans and the knowledge to critically assess how innovation in the justice system can and is being used to address legal accessibility issues.

Continue Reading Crowdfunding Legal Innovation: The Access to Justice Technology Fellowship Program

Screen Shot 2016-09-05 at 11.25.51 PMIn 2004, The Washington State Supreme Court adopted Washington State Access to Justice Technology Principles, which now guides the use of technology in the Washington State justice system. The first of its kind in the nation, the Principles ensure that “[u]se of technology in the justice system … serve[s] to promote equal access to justice and to promote the opportunity for equal participation in the justice system for all.” Since their inception, many states around the nation have adopted similar principles to provide a framework which creators of technology products and projects may use to extend access to the justice system.

Continue Reading Revisiting the Washington State Access to Justice Technology Principles

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This summer, I had the privilege to intern with the Self-Represented Litigation Network, a Washington, D.C. based non-profit comprised of lawyers, judges, and allied professionals. Together, they are “creating innovative and evidence-based solutions, so that self-represented litigants have meaningful access to the courts and get the legal help they need”. Continue Reading A Bold Vision for Legal Innovation: The ATJ Tech Fellows Program

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“Law is too important to be left to lawyers alone.”  Eddie Hartman, Cofounder of LegalZoom stated this past weekend at Stanford CodeX Future Law Conference as he made a compelling case for non-attonrey ownership for law firms in the U.S. The ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct 5.4 versions of which have been enacted in most states. Under these rules:

“Non-lawyers are prohibited from creating, owning or managing law firms, either alone or in partnership with lawyers. (Only the District of Columbia allows minority-nonlawyer ownership of U.S. law firms.)” Continue Reading A Compelling Argument for Non-Attorney Ownership of Law Firms

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Our civil justice system is facing a crisis. Millions of poor Americans have legal needs that go unmet. From domestic violence, unlawful evictions, to the loss of veterans’ health or disability benefits. Without the proper legal attention, these legal issues can have a downward spiraling effect, triggering even more legal issues. Many are left to navigate this complex legal terrain on their own, leaving them almost no chance to prevail and entrenched in poverty traps. The consequences of this bleak state has disproportionally devastated poor communities of color throughout major U.S cities.

Continue Reading Moving Beyond A Legal Solution: The Houston/Marshall Plan for Community Justice

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Great lawyers are master writers and communicators. Lawyers must translate thoughts and opinions into clear and precise English. Legal writing is a technical type of writing lawyers and others use to express legal analysis and legal rights and duties. Much of a lawyer’s role is writing legal documents, responses, briefs, letters and emails. Continue Reading Concision Course 101: Why Law Students Should Embrace WordRake!

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There’s no shortage of sitcoms and movies that fantasize the law school experience. While not as dramatic as sitcoms like “How to get away with Murder” portray, law school is time-consuming. From juggling class readings, journal obligations, student organizations, and internships. With so many moving pieces, it’s hard to ever feel a sense of control. The uneasy feeling of the next deadline is an all too common experience for many law students.

Continue Reading Life on the KanBan: What Law Students could learn from Agile Law Practice

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The Seattle Legal Innovation and Technology Meetup Group is delivering a terrific event for June. (Sound Immigration is the CLE sponsor). We’re talking hackers (the good kind), AI, design thinking for law, and Kanban. Plus, there’ll be adult beverages and networking afterward at Avvo’s new HQ in the area they like to call south-South Lake Union. Beyond the awesome topics, CLE credit (3 credits pending) will be available for attorneys but we promise it won’t be boring! CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

WHEN | Tuesday, June 7, 2016 from 2:00 PM to 7:30 PM (PDT) – Add to Calendar

WHERE | Avvo, Inc. – 720 Olive Way, Suite 1400, Seattle, 98101 – View Map

Continue Reading UPCOMING EVENT June 7th|The 21st Century Lawyer CLE

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There is much hype around artificial intelligence in the legal profession. AI, sometimes referred to as cognitive computing. Refers to computers learning how to complete tasks traditionally done by humans.

I got to see firsthand what all the fuss was about this past weekend. When I attended the CodeX Future Law Conference at Stanford Law School. The panel titled “Hot or Not- Watson and Beyond” moderated by Chicago-Kent Professor Dan Katz. Panelists included Noah Waisberg of Kira Systems; Khalid Al-Kofahi from Thomson Reuters; Charles Horowitz of The MITRE Corporation – Center for Judicial Informatics, Science, and Technology; Andrew Arruda of ROSS Intelligence; and Himabindu Lakkaraju of Stanford University.

Continue Reading Robot Lawyers: Kill Law Jobs or Augment Expertise?