Federal, state and local court e-filing systems are often described as a Tower of Babel-like mishmash of proprietary technologies and paywalls that pose substantial barriers to public access to court documents. However, the Free Law Project, a nonprofit committed to ensuring legal information is publicly and freely available, has recently acquired a grant aimed at innovating and prototyping an open access and open source court e-filing system. A system of such a composition could dismantle the long-standing system where e-filing and court management systems profit from selling access to court records.
Michael Lissner, the executive director of the Free Law Project, acknowledges the profound impact of the current system on the court in a recent announcement. In his words, the system interferes with a comprehensive understanding of the court and disproportionately harms those who cannot afford to pay for the court records. Lissner is actively seeking courts to partner with as he commences this initiative to change how courts manage public access to court records.
The project officially kicked off this week with the launch of a search to hire a researcher who can conduct the initial groundwork. The funding for the project comes from the Bia-Echo Foundation, an organization that invests in innovators primarily concentrated in areas such as justice reform. Despite the complexity of the project, Lissner believes it is possible to make significant strides in rectifying the issue within the first year.
As part of preparations to start the project, FLP is advertising a job posting for a user researcher. This individual’s primary task will entail studying the complexities of this project, developing partnerships with courts and the public, and working to understand their needs. The results of this research will then be published as blog posts or formal reference papers.
Looking forward, the Free Law Project hopes to establish a system that provides complete, free public access to the filing and retrieval of court documents, and ensures standardization across court systems. This venture therefore marks a significant step toward ensuring open-access justice and public participation in legal processes.
Original article available here.