Legal Design for the Common Good: Proactive Legal Care by Design

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingBook chapterResearchpeer-review

Many legal problems are caused by misunderstandings. People do not read complex documents. Even if they do, they may not find what they look for or understand what they find. This chapter shows how proactive legal care can help, not only to deal with challenges of complex legal information, but also to improve access to justice and prevent unnecessary problems. Enhancing clients’ self-care by promoting their legal literacy is a central strategy for this purpose. Changing how documents are framed and presented is another. We propose a new mindset for lawyers, with a focus on the users and on using the law for the advancement of the common good. With this mindset, it becomes natural to look for skills and tools to present legal information in more engaging and actionable ways. Design patterns offer a way to identify and share such tools, for the benefit of lawyers and clients alike.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationLegal Design : Integrating Business, Design, & Legal Thinking with Technology
EditorsMarcelo Corrales Compagnucci, Helena Haapio, Margaret Hagan, Michael Doherty
Number of pages26
Place of PublicationCheltenham
PublisherEdward Elgar Publishing
Publication date2021
Pages56-81
Chapter4
ISBN (Print)9781839107252
ISBN (Electronic)9781839107269
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

ID: 231858430