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LAW-2156 Lawyering in an Age of Smart Machines
Mr. William Palin, Prof. Gabriel H. Teninbaum,
3 credits day; 3 credits evening.
Students using this course to fulfill the experiential learning requirement may not also use this
same course to meet the legal writing requirement.
Some legal work can be done by software systems that embody specialized knowledge and
know-how. Often these operate as power tools in the hands of skilled practitioners. But
increasingly they are being used directly by consumers. People do their own wills and taxes with
off-the-shelf packages. Law firms sell access to online systems that dispense sophisticated legal
analysis without direct human involvement. Corporate law departments equip field personnel
with do-it-yourself contract assemblers. Courts and legal aid programs provide intelligent forms
for unrepresented litigants. And lawyer-less entities vend interactive documents and automated
legal assistance over the Web.
What challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities do these developments pose for lawyers?
What ethical and policy considerations frame the use of intelligent software? What are the
business and career implications of tools that undermine the billable hour, yet yield dramatic
returns for those who can raise the necessary capital? Can governments and non-profits exploit
them to improve access for those who can’t afford lawyers? Is that second-class justice?
This seminar will survey these developments and issues – largely for the light they shed on
lawyering and the legal services delivery system. We’ll study examples in the above sectors.
We’ll examine the burgeoning literature on the practicalities and ethics of ‘lawyering’ with
attention to the American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct. Each student
will build an illustrative software application, for concrete exposure to aspects of legal
knowledge engineering. By coordinating with the multi-school ‘Apps 4 Justice’ initiative,
students will produce results that help real people with real legal issues.
This is a three credit course. In addition to weekly classes, students are expected to spend an
average of eight hours a week preparing for discussion and working on projects. The final project
will be to build a software application.
Enrollment is limited: 16
Elective Course
Meets Skills Menu Requirement
Meets Legal Technology and Innovation Concentration Requirements
Meets Experiential Learning Requirement
<<Course Updated: July 01, 2016>>