Oliver R Goodenough Vermont Law School, CodeX September 8, 2017 Getting to an LSP Oliver R Goodenough Vermont Law School, CodeX September 8, 2017

Welcome A select gathering Many here leading experts in just the work we are envisioning Have their own versions of aspects of this work Attempt to have wide representation of constituencies Program today is a starting point – not meant as an ending point Look at the agenda: Three organized presentation blocks Time for interaction and contribution: Moderator’s task in managing it Challenge of distance participants

What: The LSP To make law machine computable, we need a widely shared, capable LEGAL SPECIFICATION PROTOCOL Get beyond the AOL/Dial Up phase – Like the Internet Protocol A standard capable of supporting smart contracting, and beyond: FinTech, RegTech, GovTech, etc. Very significant possible efficiency gains, extension of rule of law, access to justice, etc.

Protocol Shared standard for representing, processing, and communicating the information and logic of legal formulations and processes Should allow many implementations, but that can work with each other – e.g. Internet Not a language, not a platform, not a service, but the building blocks of those Build a more complete definition as we go forward – Harry Surden

Contracts: A Good Starting Point Benefits: Importance to Law Tractable Size Private Field 1: Private actors can move more quickly that govt., fewer coordination problems Private Field 2: Benefits give incentives Many of us already working on it Keep in mind the bigger project Solving contracts gets most of the elements needed

Why not Already? The LSP vision is not novel – and pieces of it exist Many in this room; Meng Wong in the afternoon Input and Data (for example) Bluebook (natural language) Search approaches Legal and Court XML - OASIS FIBO and XBRL for finance Programming Approaches (for example) A2J Author – but output words Solidity – but so far relatively limited applications Neota, Exari, e-Government Companies, Workflow, etc. Apologies to those not mentioned

Three Layers of Challenge (At Least) Technology The hackathon fallacy NASA and the Moon Anticipation and Generativity Internet protocol vs Minitel Coordination and Acceptance Many standards – add another? Interoperability and legacy friendly

How: The Process Work together to solve all of these layers Exercise Will require openness to other solutions Keeping the many goals in mind Exercise Bring your best idea to the table and … Iterative Patience and persistence Keeping an eye o

Goals for This Meeting Working approaches on substance Important technical topics and elements defined – “stack” Important goals defined – interoperability, generativity, open, etc. Working approach to the process Next steps: working groups, plenary meeting Funding, resources “Governance” – Town meeting? Organizing Committee? Role of standards organizations?

Many Thanks Funder: Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Host: CodeX Center for Legal Informatics Roland Vogl and Susan Salkind Planning Participants Legal Technology Laboratory Initiative Gruter Institute for Law and Behavioral Research Office of Financial Research of the US Treasury University of Colorado Law School Vermont Law School – Student Helpers All in attendance