aija: introduction legal xml winchel ‘todd’ vincent iii, esq. [email protected] aija:...

AIJA: Introduction Legal XML

Winchel ‘Todd’ Vincent III, [email protected]

AIJA: Technology for Justice Conference 2000, October 10th, 2000

AIJA: Technology for Justice Conference 2000, October 10th, 2000Copyright © 2000 Winchel 'Todd' Vincent III.

Agenda

• Introduction to Georgia State Electronic Filing Project• What is ‘XML’? The Problem with XML• What is ‘Legal XML’? • Legal XML Standards Process and Principles• Electronic Documents and Stylesheets• Illustration of What Is and Is Not Being Standardized• Example XML Documents• Internationalization• Georgia Interoperability Pilot Using Court Filing XML 1.0• Problems With Legal XML• Legal XML’s Future


Context: Barriers to Developing Electronic Court Filing

• Court Rules & Civil Practice ActCourt Rules & Civil Practice Act• Document FormatDocument Format• Filing Exhibits• SignaturesSignatures• Notarization and Verification• Online Payment Systems• Filing Fees• Security• Document Filing & Notification• Service of Process• Forms• Maintaining a Dual (Paper &

Electronic) System• Privacy

• Equal Access• Court Kiosks• Citations• Electronic Filing Systems for Small

Counties• Federal-State Interoperability• Courtroom Equipment & Logistics• Legacy Case Management System• Archiving • Unauthorized Practice of the Law• Costs to Lawyers• Costs to Courts• Funding a New System


What is ‘XML’?

• What XML is NotNot» NotNot a religion.» Not Not the solution to all world problems.» Not Not a solution for all electronic commerce problems.» NotNot a solution to all legal-technology problems.

• XML is a Tool Tool» XML is a Really Cool (Powerful) Tool!Really Cool (Powerful) Tool!» Like all tools, XML can be used wisely and unwisely. XML can be used wisely and unwisely.


XML Document Type Definition (DTD)

• XML is a standard syntax standard syntax for describing elements elements

• Example (Document Type Definition: DTD)(Document Type Definition: DTD):

<?xml version="1.0" ?><!DOCTYPE Address [<!ELEMENT Address (Street+,City,State,PostalCode,Country) ><!ELEMENT Street (#PCDATA) ><!ELEMENT City (#PCDATA) ><!ELEMENT State (#PCDATA) ><!ELEMENT PostalCode (#PCDATA) ><!ELEMENT Country (#PCDATA) >]>


Well-formed XML

<Address> <Street>2356 Peachtree Street</Street> <City>Atlanta</City> <State>Georgia</State> <PostalCode>30302</PostalCode> <Country>U.S.A.</Country></Address>

• XML elements elements are used to mark-upmark-up text

• Example: “Well-formed XML”“Well-formed XML”


Problem with XML: Tower of Babel

• Ten people will createwill create ten differentdifferent elements for the same informationsame information» <COURT_FILING>» <CourtFiling>» <court-filing>» <courtFiling>

• These are all different technically different, even though they mean the same.


‘Legal XML’ Standards are a Potential Solution

• ‘‘LegalLegal XML’ is a group of volunteers defining legallegal elements elements used to mark-upmark-up legallegal text» Founded in November 1998» 17 Original Members» 660 Members as of October 9th, 2000» Average of 50 New Members Per Month» 17 Substantive Workgroups, 5 Jurisdictional Workgroups

• Legal, Horizontal, Court Filing, Appellate Court Filing, Child Support, Contracts, Legislation, Transcripts, Citations, Publications, Judicial Decisions, Integrated Justice, ETerms, (PKI) Policy, Signatures, Technical, Users

• AustraliaAustralia, California, Germany, Washington, Georgia

» MissionMission: Develop Open, Non-Proprietary Standards


Legal XML Membership

Legal XML Membership

0100200300400500600700800

Members by Month

Nu

mb

er o

f M

emb

ers

Members Per Month

Total Membership


Legal XML Membership Composition

• Membership TypesMembership Types» Private (vendors and growing number of law firms): 50%

» Government: 25%

» Academic: 12.5%

» Non-Profit: 12.5%

• NationalitiesNationalities» U.S.: 75%

» Australian: 100 members (5 Australian Chairs)

» Canadian: 25 members

» European: 35-40 members


Standards Process and Principles• ConsensusConsensus

» Seek Consensus» Minority Cannot Stop the Process» Document Minority Position» Avoid Fragmentation

• MethodologyMethodology» Seek Partnerships» Workgroups Led by Chairs » Agreement Where Possible» Overinclusive and Optional» Agree to Disagree Through

Identifiable Extensions and Change Management

» Two Interoperable Implementations

• Intellectual PropertyIntellectual Property» Goal is to Develop Open, Non-

Proprietary Standards» Rights Reserved Environment» Intellectual Property Included in

Standard Belongs to Legal XML and Licensed to Public for Free

• Document CategoriesDocument Categories» Workgroup Charters » Unofficial Notes» Working Drafts» Proposed Standards» Recommended Standards» Administrative


A Word About Electronic Documents: Characteristics

• FormatFormat (appearance)» Bold

» Italics

» Center Justification

• Logical StructureLogical Structure» Relationship among grammatical structures, such as:

• Chapters, heading, subheadings, paragraphs, outlines, tables

• DataData» Meaningful Information Within a Document, Both Viewable

and Embedded (human vs. machine readable)


The Role of Stylesheets

• A Stylesheet Applies FormattingFormatting to an XML Document’s DataData and Logical StructureLogical Structure

• StylesheetStylesheet Example:

Title {font-size : 20;font-family : Arial;font-weight : bold;font-style : normal;color : Blue;margin-top : 1cm;margin-bottom : 1cm;display : block;text-align : Left;

}

Clause {display : block;font-size : 14;font-family : Times New Roman;font-weight : normal;font-style : normal;color : Black;margin-top : .25cm;margin-bottom : .25cm;margin-left : .5cm;

}


What Is and Is Not Being Standardized

Legal Information in XML ChannelXML Channel

API

User Interface A

API

User Interface B

API

Application Logic A

API

Application Logic B


Legal XML Examples

• Legislation» Legislation Without a Stylesheet

» Stylesheet

» Legislation With a Stylesheet

• Court Filing (Privacy Example)» Court Filing Without a Stylesheet

» Stylesheet

» Court Filing With a Stylesheet

» Court Filing with Redacted Text


Internationalization

• The Cross-Jurisdictional Standards DebateCross-Jurisdictional Standards Debate» Can there be standards across 50 U.S. jurisdictions?» Can there be standards across English-speaking, common law

jurisdictions?» Can there be standards across multiple common law and civil law

jurisdictions using multiple languages?

• Container TheoryContainer Theory Versus Meaning TheoryMeaning Theory» General Rule: Element Names Ought to be Meaningful

• How meaningful?• “Organizzation” Versus “Organissation”• “Color” Versus “Colouur”• “LastnameLastname” Versus “SurnameSurname”• OpinionsOpinions Versus JudgmentsJudgments Versus Judicial DecisionsJudicial Decisions


Cobb County

Fulton County

E-Filing Today: Phase I GCAC RFP

Lawyer Trial Court

Vendor A Vendor A

Lawyer Trial Court

Vendor B Vendor B


Cobb County

Fulton County

E-Filing Today: Phase II GCAC RFP

Lawyer Trial Court

Vendor A Vendor A

Lawyer Trial Court

Vendor B Vendor B


E-Filing Tomorrow: A Network of Webbed Relationships

Trial Court

Appellate Court

Trial Court

Appellate Court

Trial Court

Supreme Court

Lawyer

Lawyer

Lawyer

Application B

Application C

Application 1

Application 1

Application 2

Application A

= Standard Legal XML and Signatures = Vendor One= Vendor Two= Vendor Three= Vendor Four

! Slip Opinions

! Note: This document is best viewed in color; not allpossible relationships are diagramed


XML Court Policy Management

Interface

(EFS)

Court XML

PolicyXML

API

(Send)

API

(Receive)

API

(CMS)(DMS)


Legal XML’s Problems

• Mailing List Traffic

• Funding and Resources

• Immature Policy and Procedure

• Marketing, Education and Outreach

• Political Acceptance

• Nature of Legal XML Members» Lawyers talk and destroy» Engineers create and build


Legal XML’s Future

• Legal XML Organizing Committee• Letters of Intent to Fund• Partnership with Georgia Tech

» Hosting Servers» Buying Servers and Mailing Lists» XML and Legal XML Education» Redesign Website

• Hire Director and Staff to Provide Enhanced Services to Members

http://127.0.0.1/LettersOfIntent/


Legal XML

• Legal XML» Website:

• http://www.legalxml.org/

» Membership:• http://www.legalxml.org/MembershipNew/

» Contact:• Winchel ‘Todd’ Vincent, III

• [email protected]

• PH: (404) 651-4297

http://www.legalxml.org/

http://www.legalxml.org/MembershipNew/

mailto:[email protected]

aija: introduction legal xml winchel ‘todd’ vincent iii, esq. [email protected] aija:...

Documents

court filing xml

wellformed xml slide

notwhat xml

legal xml standards

legaltechnology problems

justice conference

markup legal text

different elements