In 2018, the Caselaw Access Project (CAP), a remarkable initiative from the Harvard Law School’s Library Innovation Lab, wrapped up a three-year endeavor designed to digitize all U.S. case law. The ambitious project culminated with the transcription of approximately 6.4 million documentations of U.S. legal history, some dating as far back as 1658.
A significant logistical feat, the project tackled the digitization of 38.6 million pages sourced from 39,796 law books, converting this wealth of legal wisdom into machine-readable text files. An initial partnership and financial backing from legal research startup, Ravel Law, helped kickstart the ambitious venture. Notably, LexisNexis’ acquisition of Ravel Law in 2017 allowed funding to continue.
The mission was aimed at making all published U.S. court rulings conveniently available to the general public in a standardized digital format. The archive is accessible through a basic Caselaw page or via bulk downloads.
However, there had been commercial use limitations in place due to CAP’s contractual agreement with LexisNexis, which had retained control over commercial usage of the database until March 2024. Businesses interested in utilizing the data for commercial purposes were required to obtain a license from LexisNexis.
The Library Innovation Lab is commemorating the end of such restrictions by hosting an event tomorrow called Transform: Justice. The gathering aims to begin the process of defining the future of accessing case law and will bring together advocates, creators, and users of open legal data. Intriguingly, the event description teases that it presents an inflection point for open legal data.
Three panels from noon to 2:30 p.m. E.T., which will be livestreamed, will touch upon the project’s history, the future of open legal data, and upcoming opportunities. Panelists include key figures from the free law movement, such as Harvard Law Professors Jonathan Zittrain, Alexandra Natapoff, and Chief Justice Mark V. Green of the Massachusetts Court of Appeals, among others.
Events such as this only underscore the ongoing evolution of legal professions and the increasing importance of free access to legal archives. As this digital frontiers grows, it will be fascinating to see what new developments and applications emerge for this comprehensive playground of historic U.S. case law.