Tuesday, February 9, 2010
How timely! Brand new article on A2J
I didn't know this was coming out, but this seems perfectly timed given that we are just starting to look at A2J. This paper, "All the Wild Possibilities: Technology that Attacks Barriers to Access to Justice" is just out and details the development of A2J.
Paragon Legal
This is the company I mentioned in class, but couldn't remember the name of then. Note the tag line "corporate counsel on demand." It's not explicitly tech-related, but still in that realm of changing approaches to the practice of law.
www.paragonlegal.com
Legal Rebels profile of founder Mae O'Malley.
www.paragonlegal.com
Legal Rebels profile of founder Mae O'Malley.
Getting started with A2J
If anyone was having trouble finding the information you need to get started on A2J, the place to start is here: http://www.a2jauthor.org/drupal/?q=node/244.
Download the starter kit. The PDF file found in the "Authoring Guide" folder is particularly helpful. You probably want to keep it as a PDF file (that is, don't print it) as it is rather large.
You should also check out the training modules. These are neat because they actually use little A2J interview files to show you how to make A2J files. It's a pretty easy way to learn because you can check back and forth to see if your's looks just like the sample one.
I will be available to answer questions about A2J after class on Wednesday and also via e-mail this week.
Download the starter kit. The PDF file found in the "Authoring Guide" folder is particularly helpful. You probably want to keep it as a PDF file (that is, don't print it) as it is rather large.
You should also check out the training modules. These are neat because they actually use little A2J interview files to show you how to make A2J files. It's a pretty easy way to learn because you can check back and forth to see if your's looks just like the sample one.
I will be available to answer questions about A2J after class on Wednesday and also via e-mail this week.
Technological conservatism
Someone asked question in class yesterday (Monday) about the possibility of clients sharing legal work as Susskind suggests might lead to a lack of variety or differentiation if one firm or lawyer's view becomes "the memo" or "the opinion" in a field.
Maybe. I tried to suggest that there might be a market for at least a few varieties, perhaps the "super-safe", "middle-of-the-road", and "really pushing it" versions for firms with different appetites for risk.
In any case, the question reminded me of a this article, "Technological Conservatism...". The author argues that the increased preservation of, organization of, and access to the past made possible by technology actually slows changes. Citing the greatly increased number of citations per brief or journal article, the author writes,
"Sources from the past operate as a “security blanket,” comforting and assuring lawyers of the present with the commendation of antiquity.The dynamic is mostly quantitative. Increasing the number of sources, and thus the amount of reliance on the past, is the apparent trend."
(The author cites, inter alia, a publication by Judge Posner claiming that the average number of citations per federal appellate opinion has increased from 12.4 to 27.2 between 1960 and 2007. Other works cited attest similar increases in citations as well as an overall increase in length of various legal documents.)
Maybe. I tried to suggest that there might be a market for at least a few varieties, perhaps the "super-safe", "middle-of-the-road", and "really pushing it" versions for firms with different appetites for risk.
In any case, the question reminded me of a this article, "Technological Conservatism...". The author argues that the increased preservation of, organization of, and access to the past made possible by technology actually slows changes. Citing the greatly increased number of citations per brief or journal article, the author writes,
"Sources from the past operate as a “security blanket,” comforting and assuring lawyers of the present with the commendation of antiquity.The dynamic is mostly quantitative. Increasing the number of sources, and thus the amount of reliance on the past, is the apparent trend."
(The author cites, inter alia, a publication by Judge Posner claiming that the average number of citations per federal appellate opinion has increased from 12.4 to 27.2 between 1960 and 2007. Other works cited attest similar increases in citations as well as an overall increase in length of various legal documents.)
Monday, February 8, 2010
Easter / HotDocs knowledge base.
The HotDocs knowledge base seems to be in flux, probably because of the recent purchase of HotDocs so it is no longer a LexisNexis product. Nevertheless, there is still a lot of information out there, including strings of code for various functions. One of the more complicated is the calculation (below) to find the date of Easter in a given year.
I hope the knowledge base has been or will soon be set up elsewhere. However, you can still find lots of HotDocs information either elsewhere or by going to the Google cached versions of pages after you google them.
Easter (First Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon (PFM) date)
SET Century TO TRUNCATE( Year / 100, 0 )
SET Temp Var TO TRUNCATE( ( Century - 15) / 2, 0 ) + 202
SET Temp Var TO Temp Var - 11 * REMAINDER( Year, 19 )
IF Century = 21 OR Century = 24 OR Century = 25 OR ( Century >= 27 AND Century <= 32 ) OR Century = 34 OR Century = 35 OR Century = 38
SET Temp Var TO Temp Var - 1
ELSE IF Century = 33 OR Century = 36 OR Century = 37 OR Century = 39 OR Century = 40
SET Temp Var TO Temp Var - 2
END IF
SET Temp Var TO REMAINDER( Temp Var, 30 )
SET Full Moon TO Temp Var + 21
IF Temp Var = 29
SET Full Moon TO Full Moon - 1
END IF
IF Temp Var = 28 AND REMAINDER( Year, 19 ) > 10
SET Full Moon TO Full Moon - 1
END IF
IF Full Moon > 31
SET Full Moon TO Full Moon - 31
DATE OF( Full Moon, 4, Year ) + 1 DAY
ELSE
DATE OF( Full Moon, 3, Year ) + 1 DAY
END IF
IF DAY OF WEEK( RESULT ) != 1
RESULT + ( 8 - DAY OF WEEK( RESULT ) ) DAYS
END IF
I hope the knowledge base has been or will soon be set up elsewhere. However, you can still find lots of HotDocs information either elsewhere or by going to the Google cached versions of pages after you google them.
Easter (First Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon (PFM) date)
SET Century TO TRUNCATE( Year / 100, 0 )
SET Temp Var TO TRUNCATE( ( Century - 15) / 2, 0 ) + 202
SET Temp Var TO Temp Var - 11 * REMAINDER( Year, 19 )
IF Century = 21 OR Century = 24 OR Century = 25 OR ( Century >= 27 AND Century <= 32 ) OR Century = 34 OR Century = 35 OR Century = 38
SET Temp Var TO Temp Var - 1
ELSE IF Century = 33 OR Century = 36 OR Century = 37 OR Century = 39 OR Century = 40
SET Temp Var TO Temp Var - 2
END IF
SET Temp Var TO REMAINDER( Temp Var, 30 )
SET Full Moon TO Temp Var + 21
IF Temp Var = 29
SET Full Moon TO Full Moon - 1
END IF
IF Temp Var = 28 AND REMAINDER( Year, 19 ) > 10
SET Full Moon TO Full Moon - 1
END IF
IF Full Moon > 31
SET Full Moon TO Full Moon - 31
DATE OF( Full Moon, 4, Year ) + 1 DAY
ELSE
DATE OF( Full Moon, 3, Year ) + 1 DAY
END IF
IF DAY OF WEEK( RESULT ) != 1
RESULT + ( 8 - DAY OF WEEK( RESULT ) ) DAYS
END IF
Exari
Exari is another document assembly software system. After a minute or two looking at this site, you will know about as much about as much as Exari as I do.
I suspect it is pretty impressive. From what I understand, Exari can handle very high levels of complexity.
I suspect it is pretty impressive. From what I understand, Exari can handle very high levels of complexity.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Self promotion
This is me interviewing Richard Susskind at the Berkman Center last April. (About halfway down the page - audio only.)
If you have a long commute...
I do. I often use it to learn. Three podcasts I'm particularly fond of are:
ESI bytes - about E-Discovery.
This Week in Law - covers a wide array of topics and is very easy to listen to, and often has some humorous moments too.
ESI Report - another e-discovery one.
You can get to all three of these through iTunes too.
ESI bytes - about E-Discovery.
This Week in Law - covers a wide array of topics and is very easy to listen to, and often has some humorous moments too.
ESI Report - another e-discovery one.
You can get to all three of these through iTunes too.
Legal Rebels
The ABAJournal Legal Rebels series is devoted to profiling lawyers who are "remaking the legal profession." So far, it has been pretty tech-heavy.
Two of particular note are:
Richard Granat
Ron Staudt
Two of particular note are:
Richard Granat
Ron Staudt
More document assembly examples.
This is the Wills for Heroes Foundation. Using HotDocs software, the foundation partners with state bar associations to prepare free estate planning documents for first responders.
I don't mean for our focus on pro bono / legal aid uses of HotDocs to imply that it is not also widely used in a commercial settings. The legal aid uses tend to be easier to find, so I have more examples of them.
We briefly looked at some material from the e-lawyering task force of the ABA. The task force's co-chairs are Richard Granat and Marc Lauritsen. Granat has several businesses going, including his own practice. He also runs Directlaw.com, which offers a ready-made platform for those wanting to set up a virtual law office to do so. If you're interested, look around on the page. The blog usually has an evolving list of new virtual law offices that have recently opened up as well. As far as I know, the Directlaw platform uses Rapidocs, a competitor to HotDocs.
Stephanie Kimbro is a lawyer licensed in North Carolina who delivers legal services over the Web. She was honored last year at the ABA Tech Conference with the James I. Keane Memorial Award for delivery of legal services over the Internet. Kimbro Law's site also offers links to many other interesting pieces of information about e-lawyering.
Lauritsen, the other co-chair along with Granat is a founding member of Capstone Practice Systems. Capstone offers consulting and assistance to companies looking to implement document assembly and related systems. Capstone's partial list of clients is illustrative of the higher-dollar market for document assembly work. However, Lauritsen and others from Capstone are regulars at conferences where people working on projects such as the one I am working on discuss the latest in the use of technology in legal aid. Capstone is also on contract with LawLine Vermont and legal aid offices in other states to provide guidance with HotDocs and A2J projects.
I don't mean for our focus on pro bono / legal aid uses of HotDocs to imply that it is not also widely used in a commercial settings. The legal aid uses tend to be easier to find, so I have more examples of them.
We briefly looked at some material from the e-lawyering task force of the ABA. The task force's co-chairs are Richard Granat and Marc Lauritsen. Granat has several businesses going, including his own practice. He also runs Directlaw.com, which offers a ready-made platform for those wanting to set up a virtual law office to do so. If you're interested, look around on the page. The blog usually has an evolving list of new virtual law offices that have recently opened up as well. As far as I know, the Directlaw platform uses Rapidocs, a competitor to HotDocs.
Stephanie Kimbro is a lawyer licensed in North Carolina who delivers legal services over the Web. She was honored last year at the ABA Tech Conference with the James I. Keane Memorial Award for delivery of legal services over the Internet. Kimbro Law's site also offers links to many other interesting pieces of information about e-lawyering.
Lauritsen, the other co-chair along with Granat is a founding member of Capstone Practice Systems. Capstone offers consulting and assistance to companies looking to implement document assembly and related systems. Capstone's partial list of clients is illustrative of the higher-dollar market for document assembly work. However, Lauritsen and others from Capstone are regulars at conferences where people working on projects such as the one I am working on discuss the latest in the use of technology in legal aid. Capstone is also on contract with LawLine Vermont and legal aid offices in other states to provide guidance with HotDocs and A2J projects.
Monday, February 1, 2010
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