32
PEER TO PEER: THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF ILTA | WINTER 2016
Learning the 21st-Century Lawyer's Cra by Designing Applications
CASE STUDIES
The Course
For the last several years, Mark O'Brien, Executive
Director of Pro Bono Net, and we have been teaching
a course at Georgetown University Law Center (GULC)
called "Technology, Innovation and Access to Justice"
(TIAJ). In this practicum course, students learn about
a variety of legal technologies and work in small teams
to create applications for nonprofit organizations.
Examples of application types and topics include:
» Intake and assessment applications that
perform triage and expedite service
• Do you qualify for services from legal aid?
• Are you behind on your mortgage?
» Self-help applications for the public that provide
preliminary guidance
• Which type of legal entity is right for your
new venture?
• Do you qualify for paid time off ?
A growing number of law schools are offering courses on how to create
software applications that "think like lawyers" to conduct analysis, provide
guidance, generate documents and facilitate interaction between clients and
lawyers. At Georgetown University Law Center, as students gain hands-on
experience building systems that provide on-demand legal solutions, they
learn traditional legal skills and how to serve the 21st-century needs of clients
— all while promoting access to justice.
by Kevin G. Mulcahy and Tanina Rostain
Learning the 21st-Century Lawyer's Craft
by Designing Applications
This article is adapted from the Chicago-Kent Law
Review article, "Thinking Like a Lawyer, Designing
Like an Architect: Preparing Law Students for 21st
Century Practice."