Student Competitions
Seattle U Holds Social Justice Hackathon
Seattle University School of Law is hosting its first Social
Justice Hackathon, a two-day event bringing together law students, lawyers
and developers to create software applications designed to improve access to
legal service.
The event will take place on the Seattle University campus on November 6-7, 2015. The event organizers and sponsors established the hackathon to help
reduce barriers to legal services for those who cannot afford to pay for them.
Hackathon participants who develop the most practical and feasible applications
will receive prizes and support intended to help them further their work.
"The goal of the hackathon is not just to build more tech applications,
but to truly get around restrictions or barriers prohibiting low-income or
moderate means individuals from receiving access to legal services," said
Miguel Willis, a second-year law student at Seattle University School of Law,
in a prepared statement.
When the event begins on Friday evening, participants can pitch ideas and
form teams or choose to work individually and then begin developing their
applications. Throughout the day on Saturday, participants will meet with
coaches, finalize their applications and put together a presentation and
demonstration of their application. Several guest speakers will address the
participants and other attendees throughout the event. On Saturday evening, a
team of judges will evaluate the applications and announce the winners. The
judges are Brian Howe, CEO of Impact Hub; William Covington, Professor at the
University of Washington School of Law; and Aurora Martin, Director of Columbia
Legal Services.
Participants may choose to develop their own idea for an application or
choose from a pool of ideas suggested by community partners. The hackathon
welcomes any kind of technology-based solution, including Web apps, mobile
apps, wearables and algorithms. Projects could include educational platforms to
inform citizens of their legal rights, legal portals to direct people to
services, mobile applications to facilitate law-related communications or legal
document-assembly applications.
Further information about the Social Justice Hackathon can be found on the event's site.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].
