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23 Harv. J. L. & Tech. 259 (2009-2010)
Leveraging Technology to Deliver Legal Services

handle is hein.journals/hjlt23 and id is 261 raw text is: Harvard Journal of Law & Technology
Volume 23, Number 1 Fall 2009
LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO DELIVER LEGAL SERVICES
Chris Johnson*
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION    .............................................................................. 259
II. ONLINE LEGAL SERVICE TECHNOLOGIES:
A CONTEMPORARY SURVEY ......................................................... 260
A .  O rig ins ...................................................................................... 260
B. Current Landscape ................................................................... 262
1. B asic  Business  M odels .......................................................... 262
2. Making Services Affordable ................................................. 262
C. Addressing   the  Obstacles ......................................................... 266
1. Privacy and Information Security .......................................... 266
2. Accessing Underserved Markets ........................................... 268
3. Unauthorized Practice of Law ............................................... 269
III. LOOKIN  G  FORW ARD   ................................................................... 270
A. Online Pure-Play vs. Hybrid Brick-and-Mortar ...................... 270
B. Vendor vs. Multi-Sided Platform .............................................. 273
1. Econom   ics  of M SPs  .............................................................. 274
2. Revitalizing the Online Legal Service Business Model ........ 275
C. Open   vs. Closed  Platforms ....................................................... 278
IV . EMBRACING    CHANGE    ................................................................. 279
A. Consumers: Serving a Latent Market ....................................... 279
B. Legal Professionals: Opportunities to Participate ................... 282
V . C ON CLU SION  ................................................................................ 282
I. INTRODUCTION
Online technologies offer innovative ways to deliver legal ser-
vices. By automating tasks traditionally performed by attorneys and
by making legal products available on the Internet, these technologies
make legal services more affordable and accessible.1 For example,
* J.D., Harvard Law School, cum laude, 2009; B.A. Economics, Yale University, magna
cum laude, 2004. Special thanks to Chris Looney and Ben Weiner for their contributions to
early drafts. Also, to Joshua Gruenspecht, Elizabeth Jenkins, and Sarah Sorscher, whose
critical commentary helped me reframe many of my arguments, and to the members of the
Harvard Journal of Law & Technology editing team who worked with Francesca Butnick to
make this Note possible. Thanks also to Frank Edens and Richard Susskind for their inspira-
tion and advice.
1. Professor Richard Susskind provides a framework explaining the evolution of legal
services, from (1) bespoke (individual meetings with attorneys), to (2) standardization of

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