Two student teams from Brigham Young University Law School (BYU Law) have created applications as part of the school’s LawX program, a legal design lab that has been in operation since 2017. The program has produced various viable products such as SoloSuit, a commercial success created during the lab’s inaugural year. Each year, the program allows for second and third-year law students to dedicate a semester to resolving an access-to-justice problem.
This year, one team dedicated two semesters to create their solution, Order Up. Order Up is a document automation platform simplifying the process of creating financial declarations for divorce proceedings. This process is often overwhelming and time-consuming, regardless of whether a divorcee secures legal representation or decides on self-representation.
Nick Hafen, head of legal technology education at BYU Law and overseer of the LawX program, mentioned that the students originally aimed to automate the procedure of obtaining any type of temporary orders in divorce proceedings. However, they pivoted their focus towards the financial disclosure statement once they realized the initial aim was beyond their capacity. They used a documentation automation platform named Gavel to build a product that complies with Utah law’s requirements for the financial statement. This product has already undergone testing via the school’s Family Law Clinic, directed by Professor Susan Griffith.
The second product unveiled this year, CourtServe, offers a unique solution that enables individuals convicted of certain misdemeanors or infractions to complete court-mandated community service as an alternative to penalties. CourtServe is a platform that connects judges, convicts, and charitable organizations to streamline community service assignments and reporting requirements.
The students discovered a deficiency in resources that align court-appointed volunteers with suitable community service opportunities. They also identified that the lack of accessible opportunities and an archaic reporting procedure discourage judges from assigning community service roles, straining court resources.
The co-directors of LawX from the private sector overseeing the CourtServe project this semester and the Order Up project for its first semester are Eric Vogeler, general counsel at ShedRx; Joseph Hinckley, senior manager, venture counsel program, at law firm Wilson Sonsini; and Justin Whittaker, founder of Jeri.
Original founders of the LawX lab are Kimball D. Parker, currently CEO of document automation company SixFifty, and D. Gordon Smith. As we evaluate these innovative developments, we must remember to acknowledge the LawX program’s ongoing efforts in tackling access to justice issues.