Civic Tech Field Guide

Pro Bono Net

Volunteer lawyers and legal aid advocates increasing access to justice From connecting attorneys to those most in need, to creating legal tools to help individuals advocate for themselves, we make the law work for the many and not the few.

Due Process Clinic at Cornell University

Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA

The Digital Due Process Clinic provides high-quality, pro bono services to those affected by these systems.

unBail

Cleveland, Ohio

Democratizing information about the legal system

apps

The Policing Project

New York City, NY, USA

The adoption of policing technologies must be guided by democratic legitimacy and an imperative to minimize harm.

police violence

Justice tech

596 Acres

596 Acres built tools to help neighbors see vacant lots as opportunities and create needed green spaces that become focal points for community organizing and civic engagement.

land
cities

Column

Miami

Column is the first collaborative public notice platform helping publishers, governments and legal services work together to inform their communities.

Global Network of Internet and Society Research Centers

The NoC a collaborative initiative among academic institutions with a focus on interdisciplinary research on the development, social impact, policy implications, and legal issues concerning the Internet.

ClientEarth

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)

We are environmental charity with a unique approach - we use the power of our laws to protect life on Earth.

Legal tech

Xnet Institute For Democratic Digitalisation

Barcelona, Spain

An activist project working and proposing advanced solutions in fields related to digital rights and democracy: freedom of expression; net neutrality; digital privacy; the free circulation of culture, knowledge and information; mechanisms for transparency, participation and citizen control of power and institutions; the defence of citizen journalism for the right to know, inform and be informed; the technical, communications and legal fight against corruption; and the technopolitics understood as the practice of networking and taking action for citizen empowerment, justice and social transformation.

EU Whistleblowing Monitor

Europe

The EU Whistleblowing Monitor was created by the Whistleblowing International Network to track the progress of transposition of the EU Directive on Whistleblowing across all 27 Member States over the next 18 months.

Un Acoperiș

Romania

A Roof is a solution for identifying accommodation spaces to help refugees who arrive in Romania and need help immediately.

Resource matching and sharing

A2J Author

United States of America (the)

A2J Author aims to improve access to justice for people who represent themselves. The service hosts simplified legal information and resources created by legal professionals.

Responsive Policy Project

United States of America (the)

Responsive Policy Project (RPP) lifts the curtain on public policy, making it easy to find, understand, and engage with opaque policy documents. Ultimately, RPP aims to radically transform policy by changing who participates and how.

Ameelio

Transforming corrections with technology

OpenUp Evictions Project

South Africa (South Africa, Afrika-Borwa, Suid-Afrika)

The Affidavit Assistant helps you collect information for your case

apps
housing

Legal tech

Munipolis

Londynske namesti 886/4, Brno 639 00

Communication gateway for municipalities

How Courts Embraced Technology, Met the Pandemic Challenge, and Revolutionized Their Operations

United States of America (the)

Pew Trusts report: What the changes mean for the millions of people who interact with the civil legal system each year—and what remains to be done

reports

Helping organisations navigate ethical concerns in their data practices

The ODI's white paper on ethical data policies

Intergovernmental Software Collaborative (formerly State Software Collaborative)

Georgetown University, Washington, DC

Identifying high-priority policies and needs that could benefit from shared software across jurisdictions.

local

Open Rights Group

Founded in 2005, Open Rights Group (ORG) is a UK-based digital campaigning organisation working to protect our rights to privacy and free speech online. Digital technology has transformed the way we live and opened up limitless new ways to communicate, connect, share and learn across the world. But for all the benefits, technological developments have created new threats to our human rights. ORG exists to raise awareness of these threats and challenge them through public campaigns, media commentary, legal actions, policy interventions and tech projects.

Water Wazi

a portal of water-related data and information

Clean water and sanitation

Civic maps

TrialWatch

United States of America (the)

Microsoft and the Clooney Foundation for Justice have teamed up to create TrialWatch, an app designed to help human rights advocates more easily monitor legal proceedings around the world.

Machine Learning and the Rule of Law

Predictive judicial analytics holds the promise of increasing the fairness of law.

research

Law Strive

Nigeria

Law Strive is a website through which individuals and businesses can get instant legal advice, and hire lawyers.

The Layman's Lawyer

India (Bhārat)

On the Layman’s Lawyer, individuals and businesses can offer or request services related to online documentcreation.

Knomos

Knomos employs modern app frameworks and design principles grounded in the user experience to deliver more powerful legal tools.

Sphaera

Sphaera is a systems design firm that conceptualises, designs and develops legal, financial and technical infrastructure that supports connecting, collaborating and sharing resources across disparate organisations, networks and communities.

Upsolve

United States of America (the)

Upsolve provides assistance to low-income groups by helping them file for bankruptcy. It provides free online guidance for the entire process with the help of pro bono lawyers.

JustFix

150 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY, USA

Technology for Housing Justice

housing

The Nigerian Lawblog

Nigeria

The Nigerian Law blog publishes blogposts to educate users on legal issues. It also engages users through social media by publishing information about laws and citizens’ rights.

Penda

Australia

Penda is a mobile application for women who have experienced or are experiencing domestic violence or abuse. Theapp provides legal information and referrals.

The Open Data Handbook

Guides, case studies and resources for government & civil society on the "what, why & how" of open data.

books
guides

PatternBuilder (formerly Community Lawyer, AfterPattern)

Brooklyn, NY

The Afterpattern app builder is now PatternBuilder, a capability within NetDocuments, the #1 trusted cloud-based content management platform where legal professionals do work.

Code for Australia Online Pleas

Victoria, Australia

Over 60 percent of people that go to court for a minor offence are planning to and plead guilty. The tool enables guilty pleas to be lodged online prior to the scheduled court date for non-complex minor offences.

Tele Law

India (Bhārat)

Tele Law facilitates the delivery of legal aid to marginalized communities, by connecting individuals with lawyersthrough volunteer-run service centres.

Mudamos signature collection app

ITS Rio - Rua da Assembléia - Centro, Rio de Janeiro - State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Empowers citizens to directly present bills. It uses blockchain technology to register citizens' support for the bill.

Harass Map

Cairo

Based on the idea that if more people start taking action when sexual harassment happens in their presence, we can end this epidemic.

Steps to Justice

Ontario

Steps to Justice provides users with step-by-step legal information, practical tools, and referral information for legal and social services across Ontario.

HeLawyer

Benin (Bénin)

HeLawyer provides legal information and access to lawyers through an Android application, SMS, phone call and Whatsapp.

Law Help Interactive

United States of America (the)

Law Help Interactive is an online service which helps users fill out legal documents for free.

LexLucid

United States of America (the)

LexLucid is a service that grades elements in contracts and online legal documents, such as terms of service and privacy policies.

Oyez

565 W Adams St, Chicago, IL 60661, USA

It aims to be a complete and authoritative source for all audio recorded in the Court since the installation of a recording system in October 1955.

Police Case

Sierra Leone

Police Case uses popular TV culture to educate the public about legal rights and the justice system.

LawGives

Canada

LawGives is an online legal service platform. Users can input their legal problem and the site generates free quotes and consultations from registered attorneys.