We're excited to share this post by Zack DeMeola, a member of the #makelawbetter army of innovators and creator of the #keeplawopen 30-60-90 Project.
The #makelawbetter movement predates the COVID-19 pandemic, but the crisis we find ourselves in and the disruption it is causing in society today is accelerating the need for change in our legal system. Right now, many courts are struggling to provide access to the legal system, while lawyers are struggling to connect to these courts, to their clients, and to their fellow counsel, all in an environment of unprecedented economic threat. All of this against the backdrop of increasing demand for legal services and solutions as we struggle with this virus.
Recognizing that we need to #keeplawopen, Cat Moon issued a call to action to create a volunteer army of legal innovators, gathered together under the banner of #makelawbetter, who are ready, willing, and able to help leaders in law navigate the coronavirus crisis, because so much of the difficulty courts, lawyers, and educators are having in adapting to these challenging times is rooted in the legal profession’s failure to innovate. And to bring these legal innovators out in the open, where they can easily be found by the people who need the help, Cat created a roster of helpers for the people who need them.
Answering that call, Zack DeMeola conceived of the #keeplawopen Project 30-60-90 in order to mobilize others in the movement to dedicate their expertise, experience, and energy to creating resources that could be used right now and in the future to improve the delivery of legal services as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds. 30-60-90 project members share the goal of bringing law closer to clients and citizens, by helping to build effective innovative solutions in all the domains related to the legal environment (including law firms, law schools, courts and in-house counsel).
Now, a group of innovators from around the world (lawyers, business managers, academics, technologists) is ready to release its first toolkit—a collection of different recommendations, resources, and best practices—to make it easier for those providing legal services to reach those who need them. Starting today, we will be releasing a different tool each week that can be picked up and used now to improve delivery of legal services. By the end, we will compile all of them into a comprehensive whole, available to all who want to use it.
Our first tool! Design thinking and legal process: how to design an effective survey
Today, we need your help to continue the work of creating better solutions and closing the gap between the people who need help and the people who can provide it.
We have designed a short survey, less than 5 minutes, to understand how new businesses and legal services are developing during the COVID-19 crisis. Rest assured, we will not collect any personal data and your responses are totally anonymous. The survey will help us to shape a new framework lawyers will have to take into account if they are to provide the services their clients need. As part of our rollout, we will release our analysis of survey results to give others an idea of the critical issues affecting client service in the midst of the pandemic.
But, of course, any solution that truly addresses client needs must begin with a client-centric focus. That is why we designed this survey by applying design thinking principles to legal issues, so that we might better identify what clients are seeking, from the client perspective.
Thus, our first tool is a guide for anyone interested in why this process is so vital and how lawyers can employ it for their own practice, and can be found here.
In the meantime, if you want to help, please join the movement. If you need help, please ask.
Franklin Chou, New York, New York, United States
Zack DeMeola, Denver, Colorado, United States
Anna De Stefano, Milan-Rome, Italy
Horatiu Druma-Strugariu, Toronto, Canada
Jeff Kelly, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
Ana Carolina Ramirez Herrera, Bogota, Columbia
Kenny Robertson, Scotland
Shelly Skinner, San Diego, California, United States
Orsolya Szabo, Hungary