Tailored Legal Services App Opportunity
5 July 2018 at 8:51 am
Students in Melbourne are on the lookout for not for profits who would benefit from a tailored legal services app.
Students in the Melbourne JD elective Law Apps work with not-for-profit organisations to design, build and release a web-based app that provides expert legal information to non-lawyers and improves access to justice.
This year, for the first time, Melbourne Law School, together with Herbert Smith Freehills are calling for expressions of interest from organisations that would benefit from this offering.
Senior lecturer Gary Cazalet told Pro Bono News the opportunity would suit organisations that provide legal services to the public or other providers that can imagine that a web-based application could “build access to justice, make their job easier, and provide tailored legal information that responds to the needs of the user”.
“The subject recognises and responds to the rapid changes in legal practice and the demands of the community to have legal services delivered in ways that suit clients,” Cazalet said.
He said students needed to understand that the use of technology was having profound impacts on the way lawyers delivered services and how the community accessed the justice system.
“They need to understand design theory and practice and how to use technology to communicate to clients in a way that is accessible and cost effective,” he said.
“Through designing and building applications that improve access to justice, students are learning the pleasures and difficulties that they will encounter in real-world practice. They also get the satisfaction that comes from helping others navigate complex legal issues.”
Students collaborate with the organisation over the course of the semester (23 July–19 October) and if the organisation chooses to use the app, software provider Neota Logic will provide free hosting of the app for two years.
Examples of apps built by Law Apps students in previous years include Not for Profit Law’s Getting Started – Decision Framework, Youth Law’s My Rights and Job Watch’s Employment Rights Information App.
Expressions of interest close 5pm Wednesday 11 July.
More information on the program can be found here.
