Justice Innovation Startup Lab

LAW325 Justice Innovation Startup Lab: Dan Ryan Spring 2018

http://bit.ly/law325-video Course Trailer

Extended Course Description

The legal system has been called the least innovative part of the modern economy but it is, arguably, an “industry” that is ripe for disruption. The level of legal need is higher than ever, the incumbent providers of legal services are unaffordable for many if not most of those who need these services, and the organizational and technological methods used to produce law and justice are decidedly 20th century. This course aims to communicate the opportunity this situation represents, introduce students to nascent efforts to exploit it, and teach a set of skills that will incline them to seeing possibilities and how to attain them. The course starts with a brief survey of foundational material: creative thinking, law, the landscape of legal innovation, and an introduction to some ideas and techniques of human centered design. We then use this material to look at legal/justice needs and legal innovation in rural America, urban America, and developing countries. The second half of the course starts with lessons in how to move from the identification of a problem to the formulation of creative solutions. We will learn to brainstorm, prototype, and iterate through four cycles of research, prototype, presentation, feedback, and revision as we develop products and services that meet legal needs. The final project for the course will be the development, from identification of needs to a final pitch proposal, of a product, service, procedure, or organization that qualifies as an example of justice innovation.

Learning Objectives

An introductory understanding of “the legal domain” sufficient to recognizing problems and communicating with domain experts.
Familiarity with a wide range of existing ventures in the justice innovation space
Ability to identify “problems worth solving.”
Capacity to use a design thinking toolkit that includes research techniques, brainstorming, creative listening, low resolution prototyping, listening to feedback, presentation, and pitching.
Presentation and communication skills.
Giving and receiving constructively critical, iteration-forwarding feedback.

Prerequisite(s): none
Co-Requisite(s): none
Concurrent Enrollment: none
Recommended Preparation: No particular preparation is expected, but the intellectual maturity that comes with previous coursework in law, design, business, or technology would be helpful.

Course Notes

Course is mixture of lecture, seminar, and workshop. Significant use of online materials. Some work for the course will involve production of content for open online resources on the topics covered in the course.

Technological Proficiency and Hardware/Software Required
Web browsing and ready access to some hardware/software for that purpose. All other necessary technological skills will be taught in the course.

Required Readings and Supplementary Materials
Books will be ordered via campus bookstore. Most materials for the course will be open sources or instructor authored and available on the web.

Description and Assessment of Assignments
The course is built around the idea of teaching, practicing, applying. The skills we teach in the class will be applied to example cases and team projects.

Grading Breakdown
See below.

Assignment Rubrics
All assignments will be assessed on a three-level scale: meets expectations, does not meet expectations, exceeds expectations. “Expectations” are high enough and the category broad enough that “exceeds expectations” will rarely be given. The expectations for each assignment will be detailed in the online assignment guide.

Assignments
Prototype 0.0 In Class	4-5	3	1-2
Persona and Journey Workshop	4-5	3	1-2
Sample What Is Out There Pitch	4-5	3	1-2
Brainstorm Writeup	4-5	3	1-2
Problems worth solving exercise writeup	4-5	3	1-2
Designer's Brain	4-5	3	1-2

White Board Posts
One Problem	9	6	3
How Might We Portfolio	9	6	3
Catch Prep	6	4	2
Pitch Prep	6	4	2

Prototypes and Deltas
Prototype 0.1	5	4	3
Prototype 0.2	5	4	3
Prototype 0.3	5	4	3
Prototype 0.4	5	4	3

End of Semester Products
Final Pitch	12	9	5
Process Book	12	9	6
Pitch Document	12	9	5

Quizzes and Exams
Quiz on law, justice, and social order	-	5	2-4

Formal Writeups
Problem Experience Map	11-12	10	5-8
Storyboard/Script for a Pitch Deck/Video	11-12	10	5-8

Final projects will be assessed on three dimensions: process and milestones; product and presentation; teamwork and collegiality:

Process and Milestones: Week to week delta; key results demonstrated consistently, milestones met.
Product and Presentation: Idea quality of final project/product; professional quality of presentation
Teamwork and Collegiality: To what degree were your contributions to team process and the work of classmates observably positive and useful?

Grading Scale
An “A” grade for the course represents a student who has met expectations in all assignments during the course. Course final grades will be determined using the following scale

A 95-100
A- 90-94
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 73-76
C- 70-72
D+ 67-69
D 63-66
D- 60-62
F <60

Assignment Submission Policy
All assignments will be submitted digitally via a platform to be determined. Reviewed assignments will be returned digitally.

Grading Timeline
All assignments are due at 5 p.m. of the week in which they are listed in the syllabus unless otherwise noted (for example, class presentations are due on the day on which they occur). Late assignments are not accepted for feedback and evaluation; however a late assignment that IS submitted will be graded “does not meet expectations” which is more points than “not submitted.”

Required Books

Hadfield, Gillian K. 2016. Rules for a Flat World. Oxford University Press. (Amazon hardback ~$30, Kindle ~15) ISBN-13: 978-0199916528

Harvard Business Review. 2013. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Innovation. (Amazon ~$20) ISBN-13: 978-1422189856

Muller, Sam, et al. 2013. Innovating Justice, Developing new ways to bring fairness between people

Optional Books

You may want to own one or more of the following to use to catch up on legal basics if you don't have a law background.

Feinman, Jay M.2014. Law 101: Everything You Need to Know About American Law. Oxford University Press. 4th Edition Amazon Hardcover ~$20, Kindle ~$12 ISBN-13: 978-0199341696

Gifis, Stephen H.2015. Dictionary of Legal Terms:Definitions and Explanations for Non-Lawyers. Barron's Educational Series, Inc. 5 edition Kindle 11.11 ISBN-13: 978-1438005126

Ventura, John . 2011. Law For Dummies. For Dummies. 2nd edition. Amazon Paper ~$17 Kindle ~$13

- Hide Intro Material

What's New?

Background and Overview

WEEK ONE

M: About the course

Exercise Zero: Awakening Your Designer Brain

Readings

Legal Design Lab at USC Gould School of Law Spring 2017 (3:00)
DevExplains: What is human-centered design — and why does it matter? (3:18)
Grameen Foundation Human Centered Design
Grant Young: Design Thinking for Social Innovation (9:55)
Human Centered Design for Social Innovation (2:45)
Tim Brown urges designers to think big (16:47)
Tom Hulme & OpenIDEO: Designing for social good (4:58)
Innovation: The Future of Legal Services (5:36) (see also here)
Thomson Reuters Legal UK & Ireland Legal Debate Series - 07 AI will fail to have a radical impact on the legal profession

Deliverables

None

W: What is Justice Innovation?

An introduction to the concept of justice innovation
Readings

W: How to make a what-is-out-there promo

Students will learn the form, content, and technical tools for producing a short "what's out there" promo about a legal innovation.
Readings

Elsbach, E. 2003. “How to Pitch a Brilliant Idea.” HBR
Kawasaki, G. "The Only Ten Slides You Need in Your Pitch"
Kawasaki, G. "The 10:20:30 pitch rule" (2:37)
OSU Women in Tech. "Storyboarding"
Anderson, Chris. 2013. "How to Give a Killer Presentation." HBR

Deliverables

Problems worth solving exercise writeup

WEEK TWO

M: Holiday

No class session today.

Readings

Deliverables

W: Law, Justice, and Social Order

What comes under the heading "law" and how does it relate to justice and social order? In this two session sequence we will get some vocabulary, draw some boundaries around the territory we are calling "legal," and introduce a way of thinking about the outcomes - justice and social order - that we expect law to produce.
Readings

Get a little background. For example:
- Read Wikipedia on Law, especially 1Definition, 2 History, 3 Legal theory (Philosophy, Positive law and non-positive law discussions, Economic analysis), 4 Legal systems
World Justice Project. 2016. Rule of Law Index, pp. 4-5, 9-17.
Hadfield, G. 2017. Rules for a Flat World, pp 83-90, 281-298

Deliverables

Quiz on law, justice, and social order

Skill Interlude #1

WEEK THREE (5,6)

M: Examples of Justice Innovation

History, conceptual basis, and examples of justice innovation.

Readings
Readings on the history/mission of various international "justice innovation" organizations

Centre for Justice Innovation (UK), Center for Court Innovation, HIIL,
Muller, Sam. 2016. We need a wave of justice innovation in 2017"

Deliverables

Storyboard/Script for a Pitch Deck/Video

WEEK FOUR (7,8)

M: Introduction to Human Centered Design

Introducing the principles of HCD

Readings

IDEO/Acumen. "What is Human Centered Design?"
Thomsen, Dave. "Why Human-Centered Design Matters." Wired Magazine

Deliverables

W: Empathy I: How to map user journeys

Introducing the idea of personas and user journey/experience mapping.
Readings

Deliverables

Persona and Experience Map Sample

Real World Needs

WEEK FIVE (9,10)

M: People Needing Law in Rural America

Seminar session discussing readings about access to law and legal solutions in rural America

Readings

Vance, J. D. 2016. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis. Harper. Excerpts.
Hochschild, Arlie Russell. 2016. Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right. The New Press. Excerpts.
Laird, Lorelei. 2014. "In rural America, there are job opportunities and a need for lawyers", ABA Journal
Pruitt, Lisa R. and Bradley Showman. 2014. "Law Stretched Thin: Access to Justice in Rural America" 59 South Dakota Law Review 466. Excerpts.
Legal Services Corporation. 2017. "Access to Justice in Rural Areas"
Kool, Amanda L. and Lisa R. Pruitt. 2017. Opinion: It's Time to Heed the Call of Rural America., The National Law Journal

Deliverables

One Problem

W: What's Out There?

Three teams produce and present a two minute promo/pitch for and lead a discussion on an existing legal innovation organization, tool, or movement.
Readings

Deliverables

WEEK SIX (11,12)

M: People Needing Law in Urban America

Seminar session on readings about legal needs in urban America

Readings
Sandefur, R. "CIVIL LEGAL NEEDS AND PUBLIC LEGAL UNDERSTANDING"

Deliverables

One Problem

W: What's Out There?

Three teams produce and present a two minute promo/pitch for and lead a discussion on an existing legal innovation organization, tool, or movement.
Readings

Deliverables

WEEK SEVEN (13,14)

M: Holiday

No class session today.

Readings

M: People Needing Law in the Developing World

Seminar session on readings about the legal needs of people in the developing world.

Readings

Muller, Sam. 2016. "We need a wave of justice innovation in 2017"
HIIL. 2016. "Justice Needs in Uganda: Legal problems in daily life"

Deliverables

One Problem

W: What's Out There?

Three teams produce and present a two minute promo/pitch for and lead a discussion on an existing legal innovation organization, tool, or movement.
Readings

Deliverables

WEEK EIGHT (15,16)