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

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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?

10. 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