Access to Justice and Technology
CRN
Course Number
Credits
Description
Technology can level playing fields, democratize the law, and improve access to justice to the under-represented poor, low earning opportunities communities, working, and middle class people in the US. However, automation, greater data aggregation, the rise of AI, and predictive algorithms entrench social and economic inequality by design and run the risk of creating an even bigger and faster justice gap. How do we benefit from technology advanced in this space and not cause further harm? How do we ensure that the technology created actually provides real redress to those who need it and does not cause harm? Coupled with the lack of a right to legal representation for civil legal matters, these questions are pertinent today.
This class examines the relationship and societal implications of the application of legal technologies being designed and used to address the US Justice Gap. We will explore the intersections of race, class, gender, and power dynamics. We will frame the class against core and emerging ethics, principles, and best practices.
Students will be introduced to the history of legal services in the US, multiple frameworks including, human centered design, privacy, cyber security, civil rights, critical theory, to give a broad introduction how legal technology has arrived to this point and this space, and where it could lead.
Prerequisites
311B or PLSC311 or permission from the instructor.
Materials Fee
Texts
The readings will be the full Winter 2019 Access to Justice Journal.
The editors are Lincoln Caplan, Lance Malcom Lieberman, and Rebecca Sandefur.
The publisher is the American Academy of Arts and Science.
Credit/Evaluation
S/NX grading; narrative evaluation required for credit.
The course will be an experiential course where students will apply what they have learned in their coursework. The final project for this class will be for students to design and/or review a new technology solution in the access to justice space using the ethics, standards, and best practices discussed in class. Students will select from selected ideas/problem areas or they can propose their own project/idea.
ASSIGNMENTS/PAPERS/PROJECTS:
Critical Reflection Pieces: Students will be required to write a 1000 word critical piece on one of the course’s weekly topics or a legal problems of interest. You are required to sign up for the topic you wish to write about in the second week of the course. You will then present your topic to the class on a rolling basis, before submitting the write up by the 6th week of class.
Final Project: The major deliverable in the course is a conceptual design project. This consists of two components which encourage creative thinking and applied orientation:
• A conceptual design document for a creative design or prototype for a legal informatics or justice administration application (e.g., software system, mobile phone application); and,
• A 10 minute presentation at week 9 on the final project. The project component is intended to stimulate creativity, and thus the design/prototype may take many different forms. More information on the final assignment will provided in class.
The final project can be done individually or in groups. We will allocate class time to work on this during class time. Students will be encouraged to work with a non profit or community group to focus on an issue of interest to them.
Class participation is vital to do well in the course and mandatory. Only 2 unexcused absences allowed.