Tag: SMU Centre for Computational Law

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.

Alexis Chun: All CLAW is LegalTech, but not all LegalTech is CLAW (Part 3 of 3)

By Josh Lee

On 31st January 2023

In Automation, Law Firms, Lawyers, Legal Hackers, Legal Innovation

Reading time: 4 minutes

Written by Alexis N. Chun

In the first part of this 3-part series, we spoke about the status quo in law and how we at Legalese and the Computational Law Centre (CCLAW) at Singapore Management University are working together to make Computational Law a reality. Last week, we painted you a picture of what a computational law driven future might look like, and assured you that the approach of building a DSL is a rather well-honed tradition one in software that has transformed professional domains like accounting, architecture, and digital photography. This article is the final part of a 3-part series.

Alexis Chun: What a computational law future might look like (Part 2 of 3)

By Josh Lee

On 6th January 2023

In Automation, Law Firms, Lawyers, Legal Hackers, Legal Innovation

Reading time: 5 minutes

Written by Alexis N. Chun

Last week we spoke about the status quo in law and how we at Legalese and the Computational Law Centre (CCLAW) at Singapore Management University are working together to make Computational Law a reality. This is part 2 of this 3-part series.

If you recall, we discussed the (natural) language problem of law and how perhaps a domain-specific language (DSL) for law might be the foundational technological innovation to fix it. Because a DSL gives “Law” (which term we use to collectively refer to statutes, regulations, contracts, guidelines, business process logic, rules, quasi-legal documentation, you name it) a common denominator, the disparate bits can now “talk” to each other. This is what makes “Law” computable and computational. And in our vision, this foundational technology gets us from pseudocode to real code. That’s what we suspect a contract wants to be when it grows up: a program. And the marvellous thing about programs is that Law can graduate from simply expressing syntax (i.e. words on a page, legalistic expressions) that are essentially pseudocode to semantics (i.e. what does it mean in an objective or clearly defined fashion), to pragmatics (i.e. what does it mean for me). Semantics and pragmatics are the traditional demesnes of lawyers; these are things you’d pay and ask for a lawyer’s advice on. But lawyers’ service of semantics and pragmatics may be too much like a priesthood (and too expensive) for most end users: go forth with this blessed document, but don’t break your back carving out the laundry list of assumptions, professional indemnities, and deciphering what exactly it means for you. Take faith. This just might not cut it anymore for the increasingly tech-savvy and knowledge-driven common man on the Clapham omnibus who reviews and background checks everything including their drivers, romantic dates, and restaurants.

TechLaw.Fest 2020 Quick Chats: Wong Meng Weng, Principal Investigator of Singapore Management University Centre for Computational Law; Co-Founder of Legalese

By Josh Lee

On 9th September 2020

In Access to Justice, Artificial Intelligence, Automation, Contracts, Events, Interviews, Lawyers, Legal Hackers, Legal Innovation, People, Regulations, Smart Contracts

Reading time: 8 minutes

Interview by Tristan Koh and Ong Chin Ngee | Edited by Tristan Koh, Ong Chin Ngee and Josh Lee

TechLaw.Fest 2020 (“TLF”) will take place online from 28 September – 2 October 2020, becoming the virtual focal point for leading thinkers, leaders and pioneers in law and technology. In the weeks leading up to TLF, the LawTech.Asia team will be bringing you regular interviews and shout-outs covering some of TLF’s most prominent speakers and the topics they will be speaking about.

This week, LawTech.Asia received the exclusive opportunity to interview Wong Meng Weng, Principal Investigator of Singapore Management University Centre for Computational Law and Co-Founder of Legalese. Meng Weng will be speaking at the Knowledge Cafe on “What Computational Law Can Do For You” on the third day of TLF (30 September 2020).