We will be using almost exclusively text. I did want to show off a couple of math variables, though.
However, if anyone can think of a way to work a simple math calculation into their cover letter, that would be pretty neat.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
More complicated math
Here's one that is considerably more complicated. This calculates average monthly employment income. Do not worry about this. You won't have to do anything this complicated, or even any math at all. I just wanted to show you that this exists. My explanations follow the // in the second version:
0
REPEAT jobcount
IF(Income frequency TE = "Weekly")
SET Income multiplier NU TO 4.333
END IF
IF(Income frequency TE = "Biweekly")
SET Income multiplier NU TO 2.167
END IF
IF(Income frequency TE = "Monthly")
SET Income multiplier NU TO 1
END IF
SET Job pay NU TO (Income multiplier NU) * (Seasonal job months per year NU / 12) * (Pay NU)
RESULT + Job pay NU
END REPEAT
TRUNCATE (RESULT, 2)
0 // the zero at the start tells HotDocs this is a math variable
REPEAT jobcount // We won't worry about this, but this is a loop for multiple jobs
IF(Income frequency TE = "Weekly") // a previous question asked "how often do you get paid?"
SET Income multiplier NU TO 4.333 // We use 4.33 because most months do not really have 28 days
END IF
IF(Income frequency TE = "Biweekly")
SET Income multiplier NU TO 2.167
END IF
IF(Income frequency TE = "Monthly")
SET Income multiplier NU TO 1
END IF
SET Job pay NU TO (Income multiplier NU) * (Seasonal job months per year NU / 12) * (Pay NU)
RESULT + Job pay NU
END REPEAT
TRUNCATE (RESULT, 2)
// An earlier question also asked about seasonal jobs. To get an average monthly pay, we multiply the monthly pay when the person is actually working by the number of months worked. i.e. - A job that brings in $6000 a month six months out of the year averages out to $3000 a month over a full year.
// TRUNCATE (RESULT, 2) This rounds the result off at two decimal points because we are talking about dollars and cents. You can truncate to any number of decimal points.
0
REPEAT jobcount
IF(Income frequency TE = "Weekly")
SET Income multiplier NU TO 4.333
END IF
IF(Income frequency TE = "Biweekly")
SET Income multiplier NU TO 2.167
END IF
IF(Income frequency TE = "Monthly")
SET Income multiplier NU TO 1
END IF
SET Job pay NU TO (Income multiplier NU) * (Seasonal job months per year NU / 12) * (Pay NU)
RESULT + Job pay NU
END REPEAT
TRUNCATE (RESULT, 2)
0 // the zero at the start tells HotDocs this is a math variable
REPEAT jobcount // We won't worry about this, but this is a loop for multiple jobs
IF(Income frequency TE = "Weekly") // a previous question asked "how often do you get paid?"
SET Income multiplier NU TO 4.333 // We use 4.33 because most months do not really have 28 days
END IF
IF(Income frequency TE = "Biweekly")
SET Income multiplier NU TO 2.167
END IF
IF(Income frequency TE = "Monthly")
SET Income multiplier NU TO 1
END IF
SET Job pay NU TO (Income multiplier NU) * (Seasonal job months per year NU / 12) * (Pay NU)
RESULT + Job pay NU
END REPEAT
TRUNCATE (RESULT, 2)
// An earlier question also asked about seasonal jobs. To get an average monthly pay, we multiply the monthly pay when the person is actually working by the number of months worked. i.e. - A job that brings in $6000 a month six months out of the year averages out to $3000 a month over a full year.
// TRUNCATE (RESULT, 2) This rounds the result off at two decimal points because we are talking about dollars and cents. You can truncate to any number of decimal points.
Some simple math computations
Here are a few simple math computations drawn from the Vermont divorce financial affidavit I'm working on.
To total some variables-- This one totals household expenses:
Total household affiant CO + Total vehicle affiant CO + Total insurance affiant CO + Total personal expenses affiant CO + Total monthly credit card affiant NU
Note that some of those are computational variables, so there are two layers of computation going on.
To subtract -- This one is for business income:
Bus monthly gross receipts NU - Total business expenses CO
To total some variables-- This one totals household expenses:
Total household affiant CO + Total vehicle affiant CO + Total insurance affiant CO + Total personal expenses affiant CO + Total monthly credit card affiant NU
Note that some of those are computational variables, so there are two layers of computation going on.
To subtract -- This one is for business income:
Bus monthly gross receipts NU - Total business expenses CO
Correct full address computation
The reason the computation variable was not working was because I was forgetting to put in the "RESULT +" command. Here's how it looks when it's working fine:
Address line 1 TE + "
"
IF ANSWERED(Address line 2 TE)
RESULT + Address line 2 TE + "
"
END IF
RESULT + City TE + ", " + State MC + " " + Zip TE
"RESULT +" Carries down everything that has come before. Without the missing RESULT (in bold up there) every time there was a line 2 it was replacing the line 1.
Address line 1 TE + "
"
IF ANSWERED(Address line 2 TE)
RESULT + Address line 2 TE + "
"
END IF
RESULT + City TE + ", " + State MC + " " + Zip TE
"RESULT +" Carries down everything that has come before. Without the missing RESULT (in bold up there) every time there was a line 2 it was replacing the line 1.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
4th Amendment confusion regarding electronic searches
This might be jumping ahead a little bit, but it is still pretty interesting. As this post from the Volokh Conspiracy tells us, there is now a pretty clear circuit split on how the plain view exception to the warrant requirement under the 4th amendment should apply in electronic search requirements.
The cases in question are linked from the blog post.
I have to admit that the only one of these cases I know anything about (yet) is United States v. Comprehensive Drug Testing (9th Circuit), and I've only read a synopsis of it, not the whole opinion. It set out a very protective set of guidelines for how to protect 4th amendment rights in electronic searches. The others from the 4th and 10th Circuits, maybe not so much.
They're all on my to read list.
The cases in question are linked from the blog post.
I have to admit that the only one of these cases I know anything about (yet) is United States v. Comprehensive Drug Testing (9th Circuit), and I've only read a synopsis of it, not the whole opinion. It set out a very protective set of guidelines for how to protect 4th amendment rights in electronic searches. The others from the 4th and 10th Circuits, maybe not so much.
They're all on my to read list.
A2J Author 3.0 released
A2J Author 3.0 has just been released by the Center for Access to Justice and Technology and CALI (Computer Aided Legal Instruction.)
A2J is most often used in tandem with HotDocs to help pro-se litigants fill out court forms. However, some organizations have also used A2J to give advice or help with client intake.
Here's a neat presentation that actually used A2J (instead of PowerPoint or something similar) to do the presentation about A2J: http://www.a2jauthor.org/viewer/shared/A2JViewer.php?interviewID=2009-05-30-17-27-57
You can also see some links to actual A2J interviews as they are used in some states right now: http://www.kentlaw.edu/cajt/A2JAuthor.html (the examples are near the bottom of the page.)
Finally, here is a link to a release from CALI about the new A2J 3.0.
http://www.cali.org/blog/2010/01/21/a2j-author-30-released
We'll look at A2J in the next few weeks.
A2J is most often used in tandem with HotDocs to help pro-se litigants fill out court forms. However, some organizations have also used A2J to give advice or help with client intake.
Here's a neat presentation that actually used A2J (instead of PowerPoint or something similar) to do the presentation about A2J: http://www.a2jauthor.org/viewer/shared/A2JViewer.php?interviewID=2009-05-30-17-27-57
You can also see some links to actual A2J interviews as they are used in some states right now: http://www.kentlaw.edu/cajt/A2JAuthor.html (the examples are near the bottom of the page.)
Finally, here is a link to a release from CALI about the new A2J 3.0.
http://www.cali.org/blog/2010/01/21/a2j-author-30-released
We'll look at A2J in the next few weeks.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Corrected link
The link to find Darryl Mountain's "Could New Technologies..." didn't seem to be working before. Here it is again:
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/law/elj/jilt/2001_1/mountain/
If you want to print it, you can also find it online in Hein Online through the VLS library.
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/law/elj/jilt/2001_1/mountain/
If you want to print it, you can also find it online in Hein Online through the VLS library.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Lessons from "The British Nationality Act as Logic Program"
The following are some points I hoped you could take away from the British Nationality Act paper;
- Case law / statute law difference for purposes of programming
- Role of vagueness / limits of machines
- Affect of programming on formalizing thought about the area of law being programmed
- Difference between "simulating legal reasoning" and "implementing rules and regulations"
- Applicability of techniques of programming legal rules to other rules such as business or organizational rules
- Concept of "expert systems"
- Decision tree model
- Thinking about what legal subject areas are appropriate for programming and what are not
If you missed some of these, most of them are passed over in the introduction and conclusion. Try reading 370-375 and 383-end.
- Case law / statute law difference for purposes of programming
- Role of vagueness / limits of machines
- Affect of programming on formalizing thought about the area of law being programmed
- Difference between "simulating legal reasoning" and "implementing rules and regulations"
- Applicability of techniques of programming legal rules to other rules such as business or organizational rules
- Concept of "expert systems"
- Decision tree model
- Thinking about what legal subject areas are appropriate for programming and what are not
If you missed some of these, most of them are passed over in the introduction and conclusion. Try reading 370-375 and 383-end.
A2J examples
Click here to link to some examples of A2J interviews from other states. The interviews are near the bottom of the page and can be tried out to see how the system works.
AI issues beyond the scope of this course
The following provide links to some work, including some on case-based and analogical systems, that is beyond the scope of our digital drafting course. Especially check out some of the titles linked through Jurix.
Jurix
International Association for Artificial Intelligence and Law
Jurix
International Association for Artificial Intelligence and Law
Some examples from class
These are the links I was suggesting during class:
Seravia
Bryan Cave online expert systems
Orrick term sheet generator
Seravia
Bryan Cave online expert systems
Orrick term sheet generator
Commodification
As of 1992, William C. Cobb, chair of the second ABA Seize the Future conference, "estimated that 60% of all available legal work can be considered commodity work because clients feel that any good lawyer could perform the services."
Stephen P. Gallagher How Should Law Firms Respond to New Forms of Competition 52 Syracuse L. Rev. 1049 at 1054 (2002)
"Commodified knowledge is turned into homogenized products or commodities that can be purchased and used off the shelf, while routinization renders erstwhile high-level work amenable to routine performance by less-skilled persons or even machines."
George C. Nnona Situating Multidisciplinary Practice Within Social History: A Systematic Analysis of Inter-Professional Competition 80 St. John's L. Rev. 849 at 873 (2006).
In the paper by Darryl Mountain assigned for the Jan. 25 class, note how Mountain states that in a commoditized market, "[l]awyers maintain a residual role to address risks not covered by the commoditized product. But the bulk of the work falls to lawyers who act as kegal knowledge engineers in updating the online systems. In that role they have little or not contact with clients." 52 Syracuse L. Rev. 1065 at 1071
Susskind: "There is no legal job whose complexity and value elevates it entirely beyond market forces. The reality is that significant parts of even the biggest transactions and disputes are repetitive and routine." Rio Tinto Deal Heralds Huge Changes.
Stephen P. Gallagher How Should Law Firms Respond to New Forms of Competition 52 Syracuse L. Rev. 1049 at 1054 (2002)
"Commodified knowledge is turned into homogenized products or commodities that can be purchased and used off the shelf, while routinization renders erstwhile high-level work amenable to routine performance by less-skilled persons or even machines."
George C. Nnona Situating Multidisciplinary Practice Within Social History: A Systematic Analysis of Inter-Professional Competition 80 St. John's L. Rev. 849 at 873 (2006).
In the paper by Darryl Mountain assigned for the Jan. 25 class, note how Mountain states that in a commoditized market, "[l]awyers maintain a residual role to address risks not covered by the commoditized product. But the bulk of the work falls to lawyers who act as kegal knowledge engineers in updating the online systems. In that role they have little or not contact with clients." 52 Syracuse L. Rev. 1065 at 1071
Susskind: "There is no legal job whose complexity and value elevates it entirely beyond market forces. The reality is that significant parts of even the biggest transactions and disputes are repetitive and routine." Rio Tinto Deal Heralds Huge Changes.
Cloud computing for lawyers
Here's a link to a podcast from the ABA Law Practice Management Section on cloud computing for lawyers. It will play in Quicktime from this link. You can also find it on iTunes. About half an hour.
Virtual Law Office or not?
Stephanie Kimbro, herself a noted virtual law office leader, on what the difference is between a virtual law office and a site offering legal forms.
ABA Ethics 20/20
Technology is one of the main drivers that is causing the ABA to re-examine legal ethics as part of its Ethics 20/20 project.
Read more here.
Read more here.
Heritage Law, British Columbia
Heritage Law has made ample use of technology to follow an innovative business model. The firm's use of technology and its effect on its business model was the cause for this March, 2009 article.
The firm is in the process of expanding its online, technology-enabled presence with a forthcoming heritagelaw.com (not up yet, but you can read about it here.)
Note that the billable hour is often a casualty of technology.
The firm is in the process of expanding its online, technology-enabled presence with a forthcoming heritagelaw.com (not up yet, but you can read about it here.)
Note that the billable hour is often a casualty of technology.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Vermont courts technological reforms.
This Burlington Free Press article is about technological improvements to the Vermont court system. It doesn't mention the program by name, but the assistance system for divorce cases is A2J.
http://m.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100110/NEWS02/1100305/-1/WAP&template=wapart
http://m.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100110/NEWS02/1100305/-1/WAP&template=wapart
ABA - "Suggested Minimum Requirements for Law Firms Delivering Legal Services Online"
Linked from here is a draft of rules the ABA Law Practice Management section is discussing to set minimum standards for "e-lawyering."
http://meetings.abanet.org/webupload/commupload/EP024500/relatedresources/Minimum_Requirements_for_Lawyers_2009_10_24.pdf
http://meetings.abanet.org/webupload/commupload/EP024500/relatedresources/Minimum_Requirements_for_Lawyers_2009_10_24.pdf
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