The Guardian reported in December that courts in Norwich and Norfolk, England are testing the use during trial of tablet computers by prosecutors. The devices “will contain all the evidence and documentation needed to conduct court hearings,” according to the article. If the pilot is successful, the devices will roll … More »
CLCT Director Frederic Lederer Speaks to the Wisconsin State Bar Association
“Our courtroom tools are changing, and the people we work with are changing,” Lederer said. “Lawyers must adapt if we are to continue doing our jobs as well as we should.” More »
Man v. Machine
Mark Michels, a consultant in Silicon Valley who formerly worked on litigation and discovery matters at Cisco, has an interesting piece in Law Technology News discussing “predictive coding,” or technology-assisted document review. Although several federal judges have expressed approval of this technique, the “defensibility”—that is, the reliability and robustness—of predictive … More »
Possible Downsides to Software as a Service
Brian Proffitt at ITWorld has an interesting post on possible downsides to software as a service (SaaS), specifically Amazon Silk. Amaz0n Silk is a new “cloud-powered” web browser which will work with Amazon’s new ereader/tablet, the Kindle Fire. Silk uses Amazon’s cloud-based web service (AWS) to perform faster. From its website: … More »
CLCT Director Fred Lederer on “Courtroom Technology Snafus”
Frederic Lederer, the director of the Center for Legal & Court Technology, was recently interviewed for an article in Law Technology News about “courtroom snafus,” especially those related to the use of technology in the courtroom. Lederer – who is also a member of the board of Law Technology News - identified the … More »
Personal Technology in the Courtroom: When Is a Phone No Longer a Phone?
In The Daily Record, Erek Barron recounts an amusing anecdote where a bailiff sternly reprimanded him for using his cell phone in the courtroom, when Barron was merely checking his calendar for future trial dates: I didn’t even consider that what he was saying applied to me because I was using my … More »
The Effect of the Economic Downturn on Legal Technology
Wired GC has an interesting post studying the effect of the economic downturn on legal technology. Noting that the costs of new technology were traditionally “baked in” to hourly rates, the blog concludes that the economic squeeze has incentivized clients to look for firms that make independent investments in technology and … More »
Renovating the Bexar County Children’s Court
In 2003, Bexar County, Texas, began its innovative and pioneering project of developing courtrooms specifically designed to meet the special needs in child abuse and neglect cases. Under the leadership of Bexar County judges, and with the support of the Commissioner’s Court and local community, a court complex was created … More »
Pro Bono Project: The Gulfport Municipal Court
Gulfport, MS lost its courthouse in Hurricane Katrina, forcing it to relocate first to trailers and then to a former elementary school. After the disaster, the Administrator for the City of Gulfport visited William & Mary and requested CLCT’s help. CLCT’s staff helped design the new courthouse, and is proud to support it as an on-going pro bono project. More »