UALR to host first legal hackathon in Arkansas
by February 1, 2016 10:52 am 325 views
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowman School of Law will host a hackathon in February that will focus on law and innovation. The event will be the state’s first ever legal hackathon.
The hackathon will begin and 5 p.m., Feb. 5, and conclude at noon on Feb. 6. It is being held at the law school, located at 1201 McMath Ave., Little Rock.
“The goal of the hackathon is to drive legal innovation and to support entrepreneurship that benefits the legal community and the community at large,” event organizers noted in a press release.
The hackathon includes a $1,000 top prize and a $500 second place prize. The hackathon is a collaboration of the legal, tech and entrepreneurship communities and will include mentors along with food and drinks.
The hackathon will follow the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review’s 2016 Symposium “Legal Hacking: Technology and Innovation in the Legal Profession.”
While the hackathon will include industry sponsors, law students, law professors and local attorneys, event organizers hope to attract individuals with development skills, creativity or anyone interested in law and technology to help improve legal services with innovation.
According to the press release, “Competitors will create technology that solves problems in the legal community, improving service for people and businesses, particularly in underserved populations. In the process, they’ll connect with opportunities and resources across the globe.”
A list of project ideas will be presented by event organizers, but teams are also welcome to pursue their own ideas. Following are the event judges.
• Toby Unwin, chief innovation officer of Premonition
• Dan Lear, director of industry relations for Avvo
• Jeannette Eicks, research professor of law and co-director of the Center for Legal Innovation at the Vermont Law School
• Daniel Lewis, CEO and co-founder of Ravel Law
• Angela Upchurch, associate professor of law at the Southern Illinois University School of Law
• Anthony Johnson, CEO and co-founder of American Injury Attorney Group and a managing partner of Johnson & Vines
• Lawrence Whitman, dean, UALR Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology
• Thomas Wallace, program coordinator, UALR Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology