Tag: legal tech Page 1 of 3

Law and computation: A conversation

On 2nd December 2024

Reading time: 10 minutes

Written by: Meng Weng Wong and Marc Lauritsen

This conversation between a computer scientist and a lawyer/technologist – about evolving collaborations across their several disciplines – was triggered by interactions at the SubTech’conference in Singapore in July 2022. Together with Alexis Chun they recently published Using Domain-Specific Languages in Legal Applications in The Journal of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence & Law.

Meng Weng Wong, principal investigator at Singapore Management University’s Centre for Computational Law, is a computer scientist (CS Penn ’97) and co-founder of Legalese, a deep-tech startup that applies computer science to law. Meng previously designed Internet email infrastructure (RFC4408) and co-founded two high-tech startups and a startup accelerator, JFDI.Asia. He’s been appointed to research fellowships at Harvard’s Berkman–Klein Center for Internet & Society, Stanford University’s CodeX for Legal Informatics, and Ca’Foscari University.

Marc Lauritsen, president of Capstone Practice Systems, is a Massachusetts lawyer and educator with an extensive background in practice, teaching, management, and research. He helps people work more effectively through knowledge systems. He has taught at five law schools, done pathbreaking work on document drafting and decision support systems, and run several software companies. Marc is a fellow of the College of Law Practice Management, past co-chair of the American Bar Association’s eLawyering Task Force, and the author of The Lawyer’s Guide to Working Smarter with Knowledge Tools.

Where is legal technology in Singapore today?

By Josh Lee

On 27th April 2023

In Law Firms, Lawyers, Legal Innovation, Legal Technology in Singapore

Reading time: 13 minutes

Written by Josh Lee Kok Thong

Introduction

Where is legal technology in Singapore today? For many who have followed the development of the sector here, this question is more than merely factual. At its core, it is a reflection on the past, present and future of Singapore’s legal technology sector, and traces the development of Singapore’s legal technology landscape.

This article explores this evolutionary arc. First, it describes the development of the legal technology industry from 2016 to 2020, which saw significant and growing interest, demand and dynamism in the use of technology in Singapore’s legal industry. Second, it examines what the legal technology sector looks like today, and two key phenomena that have defined this era: the COVID-19 pandemic and growing institutionalisation of the sector. Third, it looks at the implications of the present state of Singapore’s legal technology industry. Fourth, it suggests areas that Singapore’s legal technology sector can explore to infuse greater interest, innovation and investment into the ecosystem.

This article also hopes to highlight the two key groups of players to Singapore’s legal technology landscape: established institutional actors, such as the government and its various agencies, as well as large law firms and legal technology companies; and “ground-up actors”: local legal technology start-ups, informal and/or non-profit bodies set up by legal technology enthusiasts, student groups in law schools, global legal technology movements, and more. Over the course of the article, it is submitted that greater collaboration between both sets of players is encouraged for the success of Singapore’s legal technology ecosystem. For Singapore’s legal technology sector to reach its renaissance, such collaboration needs to be carefully developed and nurtured.

The Use, Issues and Policies of Legal Technology for Lawyers and In-House Counsel

By Josh Lee

On 21st February 2021

In Artificial Intelligence, Automation, Contracts, Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, Interviews, Law Firms, Lawyers, Legal Innovation, Policy, Regulations

Reading time: 19 minutes

Written by Johanna Lim Ziyun (Associate Author) | Mentored by Nisha Rajoo | Reviewed by Edmund Koh

LawTech.Asia is proud to have commenced the third run of its popular Associate Author (2020) Programme. The aim of the Associate Authorship Programme is to develop the knowledge and exposure of student writers in the domains of law and technology, while providing them with mentorship from LawTech.Asia’s writers and tailored guidance from a respected industry mentor.

In partnership with the National University of Singapore’s alt+law and Singapore Management University’s Legal Innovation and Technology Club, five students were selected as Associate Authors. This piece, written by Johanna Lim and reviewed by industry reviewer Edmund Koh (China Telecom Asia Pacific), marks the third thought piece in this series. It scans the landscape of lawyers and technology, and sets out steps that lawyers should take to meet a future technologically-driven paradigm.

Legal Design For The Future of Law

By Jennifer Lim

On 5th November 2019

In Access to Justice, Law Firms, Lawyers, Legal Innovation

Reading time: 9 minutes

Written By: Marc Chia | Edited By: Jennifer Lim Wei Zhen, Andrew Wong

What is legal design?

Legal design is the application of human-centred design approach to the problems and challenges of the legal process. While it is commonly associated with using technology to alter and advance the delivery of legal services, legal design goes beyond its relationship to technology. It entails a re-thinking of existing processes to maximise and optimise outcomes.

It is not the easiest thing in the world to explain legal design. Indeed the Legal Design Alliance’s Legal Design Manifesto is a multi page document explaining the attitudes, purposes and approaches to legal design. Other prominent pieces of literature include Professor Margaret Hagan’s book “Law by Design” and articles by organisations focusing on legal design as a service such as Dot and Lexpert to name but a few.

Open Source Development of Legal Technology

By Jennifer Lim

On 20th September 2019

In Access to Justice, Automation, Legal Innovation

Reading time: 8 minutes

Written by Danielle Sim (Associate Author) | Mentored by Jennifer Lim Wei Zhen and Amelia Chew | Reviewed by Jameson Dempsey

LawTech.Asia is proud to conclude the first run of its Inaugural Associate Author Programme by publishing the works of its Associate Authors. The aim of the Associate Authorship Programme was to develop the knowledge and exposure of student writers in the domains of law and technology, while providing them with mentorship from LawTech.Asia’s writers and tailored guidance from a well-respected industry mentor.

This first run of the Associate Author Programme was a partnership between LawTech.Asia and Singapore Management University’s Legal Innovation and Technology Club. After a thorough selection process, two students were selected as Associate Authors, where they worked on thought pieces with a mentor from LawTech.Asia. Their pieces were each industry-reviewed by a respected thought leader from the legal technology industry.

This piece by Danielle Sim, reviewed by industry reviewer Jameson Dempsey (Residential Fellow at the Stanford Centre for Legal Informatics), marks the first thought piece in this series, and deals with the issue of open source development of legal technology.

Danielle would like to extend her heartfelt thanks to Jameson Dempsey, Alexis Chun (Legalese), Amelia Chew and Jennifer Lim Wei Zhen (LawTech.Asia) for their invaluable and helpful guidance in the writing of this piece.