Legix.Info

Applying Akoma Ntoso to the United States Code

A few weeks ago the U.S. House of Representative’s Committee on House Administration held a one day Legislative Data and Transparency Conference. While I was not able to attend in person, I did listen in to the presentation via the live stream that was provided.

Of all the things I learned that day, one specific detail intrigued me the most – that there is an XML representation of the United States Code that has been made available. This XML is available at http://uscode.house.gov/xml. While the data is a little stale and some titles are mysteriously absent (Title 14, the repealed Title 34, and Title 51), it is a great source to begin experimenting with the United […]

Legix.Info

Computerize vs. Automate

There are two words that have long been important to me: computerize and automate. The dictionary defines these words as follows:

Computerize

(kəm-pyū’tə-rīz’)
tr.v., -ized, -iz·ing, -iz·es.
1. To furnish with a computer or computer system.
2. To enter, process, or store (information) in a
  computer or system of computers

Automate

(ô’tə-māt’)
v., -mat·ed, -mat·ing, -mates.
v.tr.
1. To convert to automatic operation: automate a factory.
2. To control or operate by automation.

We often make the mistake of confusing these two concepts as the same thing. They are very different. Doing one does not imply the other. Using a computer does not mean you have automated and automating […]

Legix.Info

Legislative Information Modeling

Last week I brought up the subject of semantic webs for legal documents. This week I want to expand the subject by discussing the technologies that I have encountered recently that point the way to a semantic web. Of course, there are the usual general purpose semantic web technologies like RDF, OWL, and SPARQL. Try as I might, I have been unable to get much practical interest out of anyone in these technologies. Part of the reason is that the abstraction they demand is just beyond most people’s grasp at this point in time. In academic circles it becomes easy to discuss these topics, but step into the “real world” and interest evaporates immediately.

Rather than pressing ahead with those technologies, […]

Legix.Info

What is a Semantic Web?

Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, defines a semantic web quite simply as “a web of data that can be processed directly and indirectly by machines“. In my experience, that simple definition quickly becomes confusing as people add their own wants and desires to the definition. There are technologies like RDF, OWL, and SPARQL that are considered key components of semantic web technology. It seems though that these technologies add so much confusion through abstraction that non-academic people quickly steer as far away from the notion of a semantic web as they can get.

So let’s stick to the simple definition from Tim Berners-Lee. We will simply distinguish the semantic web from our existing web by saying that a […]

Legix.Info

To go Open Source or Not?

It is my dream to establish a legal informatics industry. Today, legal informatics is conducted either as an internal function or by consulting firms that specialize in long multi-year projects to build custom solutions. The few commercial products that exist are in the form of proprietory products or web services. Compared to many other forms of informatics, legal informatics has evolved very slowly. Part of the reason for this, of course, is the specialized nature of this field. This is particularly the case with legislative information where each legislature or parliament has long established traditions that are difficult to change.

As with every other informatics field, an industry will be established eventually. The costs of custom built software are simply economicially […]

Legix.Info

Welcome to my new blog on Legal Informatics

Imagine that all the world’s laws are published electronically in an open and consistent manner. Imagine that you or your business can easily research the laws to which you are subject. Imagine an industry that caters to the needs of the legal profession based on open worldwide standards.

Of course, there are many reasons why this is just not possible. Every legislature or parliament has their own way of doing things. Every country has their own unique legal system.  Every jurisdiction has their own unique traditions. It simply isn’t possible that all these unique requirements could be harmonized to achieve that vision. Of course not… But it will happen. It might take 50 years, but eventually it will happen. We can debate […]