Come One, Come All -- To The Global Legal Hackathon!

This historic happening will take place in New York City on April 21. We hope to see you there!

Lawyers are often criticized as technophobic, but that’s not entirely fair. Think about all the technologies that lawyers use in their practices every day, for everything from practice management to legal research to client communication.

It’s true that lawyers aren’t always early adopters of technology, which is where the “lawyer as Luddite” stereotype comes from. But this is rapidly changing, as lawyers and law students around the world are realizing that their future success depends upon embracing tech. Reflecting this large and growing interest in legal tech, here at Above the Law we’ve launched Evolve the Law, ATL’s Legal Innovation Center, which covers all the exciting developments in this space.

For more evidence of all the innovation happening today in the legal profession, as well as a look at what new technology could be coming our way in the future, come to New York on April 21 for the final round of the Global Legal Hackathon. In prior rounds, hundreds thousands of hackers — in 40 cities, 22 countries, and six continents around the world — worked on developing technologies to improve the legal profession. They focused on solutions directed to either a private benefit, aimed at the business and practice of law, or a public benefit, aimed at good government and access to justice. The goal — as framed by Professor Gillian Hadfield, a leading proponent of legal reform and author of Rules for a Flat World: Why Humans Invented Law and How to Reinvent It for a Complex Global Economy (affiliate link) — was to address “problems worth solving.”

Address them they did. The vast field of competitors has now been winnowed down to 14 finalists, from nine different nations — Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Hungary, Nigeria, Singapore, and the United States. Their solutions tackle everything from making legal referrals, getting convictions expunged, training law students, and producing quick contracts and other legal documents. To spread the word about their innovations, the finalists have generated some great multimedia creations — see, e.g., Australia, Brazil, and Nigeria. You can follow their exploits leading up to the event via Twitter: @worldhackathon.

“The collective outcome and power of the finalists inspires a bit of awe, especially in light of what it may portend for year two of the Hackathon and beyond,” said David Fisher, co-founder of the Hackathon and CEO of Integra Ledger, a leading blockchain company in the legal space. “We may have set something in motion that actually changes the legal industry.”

On April 21, right here in Manhattan, the 14 finalists will present their creations to a global panel of judges in front of hundreds of guests. Think of it as legal technology’s answer to Shark Tank, replete with moments of drama, suspense, epic failure, and inspiring victory.

I wouldn’t miss it for the world — or globe, if you will — and I’m guessing you feel the same way. To attend this historic event, just purchase tickets here — and Above the Law is a media partner, so enter the “AboveTheLaw” code for a 50 percent discount.

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We hope you’ll join us, and we look forward to seeing you on the 21st!

Global Legal Hackathon [official website]
Global Legal Hackathon Urges Participants to Address ‘Problems Worth Solving’ [LawSites]
The World’s Largest Legal Hackathon, And You’re Invited [Artificial Lawyer]
Solving the Collective Action Problem in Law [Artificial Lawyer]

Earlier:


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DBL square headshotDavid Lat is editor at large and founding editor of Above the Law, as well as the author of Supreme Ambitions: A Novel. He previously worked as a federal prosecutor in Newark, New Jersey; a litigation associate at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz; and a law clerk to Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. You can connect with David on Twitter (@DavidLat), LinkedIn, and Facebook, and you can reach him by email at dlat@abovethelaw.com.

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