Law community
By Michael Fisch
Tools created by the Legal Innovation & Technology (LIT) Lab recently helped a Massachusetts tenant prevent eviction—with a constable at the door and a moving crew removing the tenant’s property. The tenant filled out the Lab’s emergency stay of eviction form online and was granted a stay by an appeals court judge on the same day. The resident’s property was returned to the home.
The Lab’s mobile phone tools are designed to greatly simplify the process of filling in and filing appeals documents. The “smartforms” offer legal assistance, question by question, allowing users to email their forms to the court, similar to how TurboTax helps people complete and file their tax returns.
3L Mia Bonardi was one of 12 LIT Lab students working with the appeals court on the project. She met weekly with an assistant court clerk to make sure that the language used in the smartform was easy to understand and that the document was well-organized and provided the facts judges needed to make a determination.
Bonardi learned to code for the first time through the Lab. She says the experience of translating complex legal questions to be more easily understood was transformational for her. “The Lab brings simplicity and convenience to unrepresented litigants at a scale that’s just not possible, typically, and makes the forms available anytime day or night,” says Bonardi, adding that the forms are signed electronically, so no scanner or printer is needed—and the document goes directly to the court within minutes. “Judges receive filings that are better organized and on topic. They’re getting what they need to know to make a decision.”
Bonardi says she wants to continue making that kind of broad impact. “It’s not conventional lawyering, but it’s incredibly powerful. I don’t want to stop.”
Since July 2020, the LIT Lab’s free TurboTax-style court-forms tool has been used to create 16,000 court documents via phones and the internet. The site has smartforms for a few dozen types of legal matters, including requests for domestic violence protection orders and for emergency actions against neglectful property owners. To use them, visit: www.courtformsonline.org.
16,000 Court Documents Generated, Many on a Phone
The Lab received a new grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts this fall. Coupled with a recent donation from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Lab has raised over $1 million in institutional and alumni support since opening its doors four years ago. The contributions are fueling increased access to legal services, including through smartforms, and giving students an opportunity to learn cutting-edge knowledge and skills.
Hitting the $1 Million Mark
The LIT Lab is working in several states to introduce one-click e-filing from a computer or phone. In the U.S., where many courts rely on paper or last-generation PDFs, it’s a bold and game-changing goal. The Lab is releasing all of its tools under an open-source license, allowing others to adapt the work for free. Lawyers and pro se litigants will save thousands of hours with a modernized approach, while improving the public’s access to essential legal services.
A Bold, Game-Changing Vision
Return to Table of Contents
By Michael Fisch
Law community
Tools created by the Legal Innovation & Technology (LIT) Lab recently helped a Massachusetts tenant prevent eviction—with a constable at the door and a moving crew removing the tenant’s property. The tenant filled out the Lab’s emergency stay of eviction form online and was granted a stay by an appeals court judge on the same day. The resident’s property was returned to the home.
The Lab’s mobile phone tools are designed to greatly simplify the process of filling in and filing appeals documents. The “smartforms” offer legal assistance, question by question, allowing users to email their forms to the court, similar to how TurboTax helps people complete and file their tax returns.
3L Mia Bonardi was one of 12 LIT Lab students working with the appeals court on the project. She met weekly with an assistant court clerk to make sure that the language used in the smartform was easy to understand and that the document was well-organized and provided the facts judges needed to make a determination.
Bonardi learned to code for the first time through the Lab. She says the experience of translating complex legal questions to be more easily understood was transformational for her. “The Lab brings simplicity and convenience to unrepresented litigants at a scale that’s just not possible, typically, and makes the forms available anytime day or night,” says Bonardi, adding that the forms are signed electronically, so no scanner or printer is needed—and the document goes directly to the court within minutes. “Judges receive filings that are better organized and on topic. They’re getting what they need to know to make a decision.”
Bonardi says she wants to continue making that kind of broad impact. “It’s not conventional lawyering, but it’s incredibly powerful. I don’t want to stop.”
Since July 2020, the LIT Lab’s free TurboTax-style court-forms tool has been used to create 16,000 court documents via phones and the internet. The site has smartforms for a few dozen types of legal matters, including requests for domestic violence protection orders and for emergency actions against neglectful property owners. To use them, visit: courtformsonline.org.
16,000 Court Documents Generated, Many on a Phone
The Lab received a new grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts this fall. Coupled with a recent donation from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Lab has raised over $1 million in institutional and alumni support since opening its doors four years ago. The contributions are fueling increased access to legal services, including through smartforms, and giving students an opportunity to learn cutting-edge knowledge and skills.
Hitting the $1 Million Mark
The LIT Lab is working in several states to introduce one-click e-filing from a computer or phone. In the U.S., where many courts rely on paper or last-generation PDFs, it’s a bold and game-changing goal. The Lab is releasing all of its tools under an open-source license, allowing others to adapt the work for free. Lawyers and pro se litigants will save thousands of hours with a modernized approach, while improving the public’s access to essential legal services.
A Bold, Game-Changing Vision
Return to Table of Contents