You with the law show?
skip navigation Search Cornell About LII / Get the law / Find a lawyer / Legal Encyclopedia / Help Out VoxPopuLII New voices in legal information All VoxPopuLII authors All VoxPopuLII posts Public access to legal information information retrieval free access to law Legal metadata Legal knowledge representation Legal semantic web liis Semantic Web and law Legal citations digital law 25 for 25: City Miles, Jazz, and Beacons 25 for 25: So What(‘s Next)? You with the law show? 25-for-25 Add comments Dec 05 2017 by Elmer Masters The Legal Information Institute is 25 years old. For a quarter of a century the organization built by Peter Martin and Tom Bruce at Cornell has been a beacon for those interested in free and open access to the law. The LII website provides unparalleled access to decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States, including oral arguments via Oyez!, the United States Code, and the Code of Federal Regulations. LII manages several student led publications at Cornell that provide valuable analysis of judicial proceedings of the Supreme Court and the NY Court of Appeals. Its work influences policy on open access to federal legal information. But if you’re reading this, you probably already know that. You probably also know that the work of the LII has provided a blueprint for legal information institutes around the world as they work to provide their citizens free and open access to the legal information that is so key to creating an informed citizenry and fostering democracy. Yet here in the United States once we step away from the work of the LII we quickly wander into a vast wasteland of legal information dominated by commercial vendors, arcane court, legislative, and administrative systems, and questionable copyright claims. While the LII has provided a workable model for publishing legal information it hasn’t been adopted by the courts, legislatures, and administrative bodies of this country. As citizens of the US we are told that ignorance of the law is no excuse. We are expected to make informed decisions regarding a wide range of issues when we vote. We are required to comply with an ever growing number of rules and regulations. But we do not have free and open access to the law, to the statutes, the regulations, the judicial opinions that we are expected to follow in our day to day lives. I know this is a broad statement, but I also know, sitting here in Woodstock GA, it’s a whole easier for me to find out what order I should watch the Fast & Furious movies in (hint: not the order they were released) than what rules apply if I want to raise some chickens in my backyard. I simply cannot think of any reason why that is a good thing. The simple truth is that the law just isn’t as readily available as some other information. And that truth is a serious shortcoming in this country. We have the models provided by the LII, why don’t we build on it? It isn’t just in the legal information space that the Legal Information Institute has provided models that we don’t follow. Many may not realize that in the early years the LII had a significant role in legal education. Peter Martin was a pioneer in bringing distance education to US law schools and in using technology in the law school classroom. LII published or co-published course and other materials for law schools and developed a digital archive system for faculty scholarship. As with legal information, LII’s work in legal education provided models for distance education, in-class technology, and digital archives that were years ahead of their time. Like its legal system, legal education in the US is fairly unique. It’s steeped in tradition and slow to change. Law is taught now pretty much as it was a century ago. There is little variation in curriculum from school to school. With swift changes to law practice driven by technological changes and economic shifts legal education is in crisis. Law schools are suffering from dropping enrollments, falling bar passage rates, and a soft job market. Many schools are finally taking a look at distance education and classroom technology as ways to improve and differentiate their curriculum. Legal education could do worse than to look back at the work LII did 15 – 20 years ago in distance education and classroom technology. Over the past 25 years the LII has provided leadership in legal information and legal education. I’m looking forward to writing about 50 years of leadership. Elmer Masters is the Director of Technology for the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI), a consortium for the development of novel methods of legal instruction that has most US law schools as members. He is a former roadie. Posted by admin at 2:20 pm Leave a Reply Recent Posts The Balancing Act: Looking Backward, Looking Ahead 25 for 25: So What(‘s Next)? 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Executive Summary
The article 'You with the law show?' by Elmer Masters celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Legal Information Institute (LII) at Cornell University, highlighting its significant contributions to free and open access to legal information. The article praises LII's extensive resources, including Supreme Court decisions, the U.S. Code, and the Code of Federal Regulations, and its influence on global legal information initiatives. However, it critically notes the lack of widespread adoption of LII's model by U.S. courts, legislatures, and administrative bodies, leading to a fragmented and often inaccessible legal information landscape. The author argues that this lack of access undermines democratic principles and citizen engagement.
Key Points
- ▸ LII's 25-year legacy of providing free and open access to legal information.
- ▸ The influence of LII's model on global legal information initiatives.
- ▸ The fragmented and often inaccessible nature of legal information in the U.S.
- ▸ The importance of accessible legal information for an informed citizenry and democracy.
- ▸ The need for broader adoption of LII's model by U.S. institutions.
Merits
Comprehensive Coverage
The article provides a thorough overview of LII's achievements and its impact on legal information access both domestically and internationally.
Critical Perspective
The author offers a balanced view, acknowledging LII's successes while critically examining the broader issues of legal information access in the U.S.
Engaging Example
The use of a relatable example (comparing the ease of finding movie viewing orders to legal information) effectively illustrates the accessibility problem.
Demerits
Lack of Specific Solutions
While the article highlights the problem, it does not delve deeply into specific solutions or actionable steps for improving legal information access.
Broad Generalizations
The article makes broad statements about the accessibility of legal information without providing detailed data or case studies to support these claims.
Expert Commentary
The article by Elmer Masters provides a timely and critical examination of the state of legal information access in the United States. The Legal Information Institute (LII) at Cornell University has indeed been a beacon of open access to legal information for the past 25 years, setting a global standard for transparency and accessibility. The author's praise for LII's achievements is well-deserved, as the institution has played a pivotal role in democratizing access to legal knowledge. However, the article's critique of the broader legal information landscape in the U.S. is equally valid. The fragmented and often inaccessible nature of legal information undermines the principles of democracy and the rule of law. Citizens cannot be expected to comply with laws and regulations that are not readily accessible or understandable. The article's call for the broader adoption of LII's model is a necessary step towards addressing this issue. However, the article could benefit from a more detailed exploration of the barriers to adoption and potential solutions. For instance, the role of commercial interests, the complexity of legal systems, and the need for standardized metadata and semantic web technologies could be further examined. Additionally, the article could discuss the potential for public-private partnerships to bridge the gap between commercial vendors and open access initiatives. In conclusion, the article serves as a valuable contribution to the ongoing discussion about legal information access. It highlights the achievements of LII while critically examining the broader challenges. The call for action is clear: to ensure that all citizens have access to the laws that govern them, we must build on the successful model provided by LII and work towards a more transparent and accessible legal information landscape.
Recommendations
- ✓ Advocate for policy changes that mandate or incentivize the adoption of open access models for legal information by U.S. institutions.
- ✓ Explore technological solutions, such as semantic web technologies and standardized metadata, to improve the accessibility and usability of legal information.
- ✓ Encourage public-private partnerships to bridge the gap between commercial vendors and open access initiatives.
- ✓ Conduct further research and provide detailed data on the accessibility of legal information to support policy and technological interventions.
