A post from the Open-Source Development Hub, led me to find out about OpenLaw, Harvard’s online legal collaboration forum. The system has been designed with an open-source structure in mind. Lawyers, legal professionals, and other interested people can help construct arguments and briefs that will be used in actual court cases. From the website: “Non-lawyers and lawyers alike are invited to join the process by adding thoughts to the “brainstorm” outlines, drafting and commenting on drafts in progress, and suggesting reference sources.”
I think it’s great to see that the open-source development system is being applied to accomplish more than just great software. Depending on the case, however, the legal system might not be the best place to try it out. For a defense team trying to develop a murder defense, it’s probably best to keep your plans secretive.
The medical field, on the other hand, could benefit greatly from collaboration. Experts from all around the world could help diagnose illnesses. Crucial time could be saved, costs could be reduced, and lives could be saved. (Just think, it might not take Dr. House the full episode to figure out what’s wrong with his patient!)
