How Josef Legal Is Increasing Access to Justice For Australians

In a lot of cases, the amount of legal knowledge and legal defense you get will help you get the outcome you want no matter the dispute.

Unfortunately, legal advice can come with quite the price tag. That’w where the new chatbot Josef Legal comes in.

Josef Legal works by connecting lawyers with potential clients who have questions and concerns. It’s part of what makes the new age of technology so exciting for people across all industries.

Earlier this week, the BucketOrange legal blog sat down with Josef Legal co-founder Sam Flynn to talk about what this new chatbot brings to the legal table.

When asked how it works, Flynn was clear and concise.

“On our no-coding-required platform, legal organisations can build and launch their own chatbots without the need for expensive developers,” he said. “These chatbots can help people resolve a legal problem, including by preparing a personalised document for them (such as a letter or agreement). Because all of these interactions are automated, it allows legal organisations to provide their services at scale.”

Flynn and his partners came up with the idea for Josef Legal when they were asked to find a way to use new technology to increase access to those with justice issues. It wasn’t long before the solution to that problem became a chatbot that connects those with knowledge to those who need it.

How many Australians need legal assistance? According to research, nearly 9 million, but under half of them actually end up seeking legal counsel due to the price.

And it’s not just helpful for those in need of legal assistance. As Josef Legal’s site expresses, it’s an opportunity for lawyers as well.

“But legal technology doesn’t just empower us to bridge the access to justice gap, it is also an unprecedented opportunity for the legal industry to modernise,” it reads. “This allows lawyers to unlock value in untapped markets, streamline their organisations and prepare for a changing industry.

“That is why Josef works with a variety of teams across the US, Europe and Australia, including community legal centres, government, plaintiff and commercial firms and in-house legal teams.”

Overall though, Josef Legal is meant to help the clients first.

“Josef’s utility is to allow legal organisations to automate and scale legal services, streamline their organisations and connect with potential and current clients,” Flynn said.

“For community legal centres, this allows them to help as many people as possible, particularly in the face of a disconnect between increasing demand and decreasing funding. For law firms, this allows them to help more people while also letting them access a huge, unaddressed market, which in the US alone is valued at USD$50B.”

Basically, the more potential clients that lawyers can reach, the more help those who would have otherwise not reached out to lawyers are getting. It also allows firms to potentially charge less if they do begin working with clients they were paired with on Josef Legal because they are spending less time and money to find the clients they would like to represent.

As Flynn expressed, this chatbot has been made in the hopes that it will not only help those in need of legal counsel, but lawyers who are looking to bolster their client roster and tapped untapped markets as well.

So far, the response from those in the legal industry has been “extraordinary,” according to Flynn.

The early success of Josef Legal has surprised some, according to Flynn due to the fact that the legal industry is known to be an incredibly traditional one world wide. But it is impossible to deny ingenious innovation.

For Flynn and his partners, their success didn’t come as a shock. For them, the need for the legal industry to modernize and utilize technology the right way has been clear for years.

Thanks to their early success, those at Josef Legal are already looking towards their next steps.

“In the long-term, we want to change the way that legal services are provided to ensure that people get help whenever and wherever they need it,” Flynn said. “We want to get to the stage where people who have a legal problem seek legal assistance, just like people who have a health problem see a doctor.”

Perhaps the best aspect of the chatbot is that is is flexible based on the needs of the potential client and desires of the firm they’re put in contact with.

Not only can the counsel be free, as it was originally intended to be, there are also ways for firms to charge their clients, making it a multi-tiered and multi-functional chatbot.

It’s pretty incredible how technology has changed the way people work, but until now lawyers have behaved the same for years.

With the advent of companies like Josef Legal, it seems the legal profession is finally starting to catch up.

It will be fascinating where this and other tech-dependent legal companies go from here.

How to think like a lawyer

Sometimes in life you’re going to need a lawyer, but no matter why situation you’re dealing with, it’s never a bad idea to think like a lawyer.

Thinking like a lawyer comes down to a few things. Coming to conclusions thanks to reasoning as opposed to emotion, exercising cool logic, problem-solving skills, and precise analysis.

It’s something that many of us wish we could do. Whether we are having a heated exchange with a business partner, a spouse, a friend, or a colleague, it can be easy to let emotions take over. But that is not the way. If you’ve ever gotten in an emotional argument with a personal relation you know that things can quickly spiral out of control.

The truth is, it’s the kind of cold, calculated mental weaponry that can protect you from unhelpful, inflammatory emotions in an argument.

It might sound like an impossible task, but it really isn’t.

The ability to use legal reasoning in everyday life is not a skill reserved only to those who earn a law degree. Like learning a new skill or a new language, thinking like a lawyer is a technique that can be developed and learned with time.

A word of warning – it takes time, practice, patiences, and sometimes a willingness to sound a bit smug or pretentious. But if it takes getting what you want, it can all be quite worth it.

Here are some good ways to get started on your journey.

Become a smooth word operator

Lawyers are competitive people, they want to win, and sometimes winning an argument comes down to simply sounding smarter than the person on the other side. Sometimes, all that means is using big words and thinly veiled jabs.

This is a strategy used by many lawyers to gain an advantage when competing with colleagues and competitors.

Still, if you want to use the trial-lawyer technique of speaking with a silver tongue, you’re going to have to actually brush up on some grammar and vocabulary.

Look through the dictionary and thesaurus, spend time reading great works of fiction and non-fiction. These are great places to start and great ways to not only gain an upper-hand in conversation, but also become a smarter person.

Have a plan for every scenario

One of the biggest aspects of thinking like a lawyer is preparing for things that may or may not come to pass. If you know that a conversation or situation is on the horizon, it is your job to plan and predict the future. This means you will likely have to do risk assessments before making a big decision. You will have to consider all your options, all possible potentialities, and how your options might change depending on what does come to occur.

Like a game of checkers or chess, taking time to methodically plan out your potential future moves based on the moves your opponent is likely to take. The habit of thinking before acting is a smart thing to adopt in nearly all phases of life. It’s part of why lawyers have a reputation of being risk-averse and incredibly methodical.

While this can be quite a lot of hard work, the benefits are incredible. Thinking into the future and thinking about what may come to pass means that you will likely never be surprised by unforeseen negative outcomes of your decisions in personal or professional contexts.

Before taking a course of action, spend some time on your own or with your advisors considering what could potentially go right and what could go wrong.

If you come across something in a discussion that you did not expect, there is also nothing wrong with taking some personal time to yourself during the conversation. Think before you answer a question, and never feel as though you need to have all the answers immediately.

Problem solve and analyze it all

Analytical skills are at the core of the ways lawyers solve nearly all problems and issues.

Analytical thinking allows you to visualize, articulate, conceptualize, and solve simple and complex problems by making educated decisions and taking calculated risks based on available information.

It is equally important to try to not get bogged down in irrelevant details but focus on the most relevant and critical information. In thinking like a lawyer, you will look for the material facts and evidence to support your case. Then, look for a conclusion you can come to given the facts available to you and available to your opponents.

Keep it objective

This is one of the most important things to keep in mind when you are engaging in an oppositional situation.

Leave your emotions at the door, lawyers are masters at it, and you should be too. Submitting to your feelings leave you vulnerable to making mistakes, it clouds your judgement and prevents you from making the best decision in the circumstances.

The ability to tease the emotions out of every situating, including inflamed personal conflicts, is one of the many reasons why lawyers are often seen as non-feeling and robotic.

In the end, it is important to remember that lawyers have not been told some secret truth of the universe to get what they want. They’ve just been given a certain set of skills to get the upper hand in discussions and disagreements.

Using skills similar to the ones you have just read about can give you a similar upper hand. So, the next time you are facing a confrontational situation with a business partner, spouse, friend, or more, considering utilizing some of these methods to start thinking like a lawyer.

Good luck!

The Most Influential Court Cases in Australian History

Australia has only been an independent nation for just over 100 years, and in that time there have been some incredibly influential and historic legal cases that have gone on the have pervasive impacts on the law of the land.

Here is a list of some of the most influential court cases in the last half century.

Chamberlain v the Queen – 1948

One of the most well-known murder trial in Australian history, Chamberlain v the Queen is regularly mentioned when discussing a miscarriage of justice in Australia.

The trial itself related to the death of a nine-week-old baby named Azaria Chamberlain during a family camping trip in the Northern Territory.

While the prosecution claims that she had been murdered by her own mother Lindy Chamberlain, she claimed that Azaria was taken by a dingo.

Finally, it was found that Lindy had in fact been telling the truth. It wasn’t until 1986, however, that she was released from prion and acquitted on the charges of murder.

Ruddock v Vadarlis – 2001

This immigration case involved the Norwegian cargo vessel MV Tampa, which was denied entry to Australia after it recused 438 asylum seekers who had been stranded on a sinking boat. The controversy began when the captain of the MV Tampa declared a state of emergency when it entered Australian waters.

It was at that point that Australian commandos boarded the ship and detained the asylum seekers. The result was a civil suit by the Council for Civil Liberties Eric Vadarlis, who sought a writ of habeas corpus for the asylum seekers.

While Vadarlis did win the first court trial, the Federal Government successfully appealed to the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia, where it was decided that the government had the right to deny entry of non-citizens into Australia.

Wik Peoples v Queensland – 1996

The Wik Decision was highly impactful when it came to the future of land rights in Australia. This specific issued dealt with the strip of land on the Cape York Peninsula, and the case was brought before the Federal Court of Australia to determine the native rights of the Wik Peoples.

The decision in the High Scout eventually ruled in favor of the Wik Peoples and it marked a milestone in terms of deciding what to do with competing claims of native lands and leases.

Dietrich v the Queen – 1992

Olaf Dietrich became an unexpected champion of human rights when he was charged with smuggling heroin in condoms. He was, as a result, refused trial aid unless he pled guilty to his charges, despite common law’s widely held tradition to his right of a fair trial.

Despite the fact that Dietrich went on to commit other series crimes, such as armed robberies, it was a solidification of the right to a fair trial in Australia, no matter the nature of the crime.

Waltons Stores Ltd v Maher – 1988

This case had such a huge impact on the law of the land because it was the case that established promissory estoppel as its own cause of action as an attack instead of as defense.

The strength of contract law allowed for damages to be sought and principles like ‘unconscionable conduct’ to be cited in a case. Because Walton Stores Ltd had so convinced the Mahers that a contract was going to take place, the court decided that they owed the Mahers damages as if they had, even though they never truly did sign a legal contract.

Commonwealth v Tasmania – 1983

Known colloquially as the “Tasmanian Dam Case,” this is remembered fondly as both a constitutional landmark and an environmental victory. The case, which saw the Australian and Tasmanian governments clash in the High Court of Australia, dealt with the proposed construction of a hydropower damn on the Gordon River in southwest Tasmania.

The Tasmanian government argued its right to construct the dam, the Federal Government worked to get in their way, citing Australia’s responsibility under the World Heritage Convention.

In 1983, the Federal Government won with a 4:3 majority ruling in the High Court. It saved the Gordn River, and it set a precedent for preserving Australian wilderness for years to come.

Mabo v Queensland – 1992

In 2007, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologized to the Indigenous Australians for the past atrocities committed by the Australian government.

That likely would not have taken place if not for Mabo v Queensland.

The landmark case was responsible for removing the 17th century doctrine of terra nullius, and inserting native title in Australian law. The case not only changed one of the oldest doctrines of national land law, but also finally acknowledged Indigenous Australians as the original inhabitants of Australia.

The case, which spanned over a decade, revoled around the Meriam People’s campaign to claim legal ownership over the ancestral lands on the island of Mer in the Torres Strait. While there was powerful opposition from the Queensland government, and while two of the original five claimants died before the conclusion of the case, the High Court ultimately ruled in a 6:1 majority in favor of the Meriam People. This move led to the Native Title Act a year later, which allowed Indigenous people across Australia to claim traditional rights to unalienated land.

While there are many landmark cases that have had lasting impact on the law of Australia, these cases marked changes in not only the law of the commonwealth, but the opinions of the men and women who call it home.

5 Most Common Needs for Lawyers

In life, unexpected twists and turns often lead to a very real need for some true legal council. Even before you reach that point in life, however, it is never a bad idea to know when you might need a lawyer.

Continue reading to learn about the five most common needs for lawyers and the most common types of lawyers.

Business Lawyers

One of the most common reason people need the help of a legal professional is when they are facing an issue with their business or work.

Whether it is getting help starting up a business, incorporating, or setting up an LLC, business lawyers are basically a must-have.

A business owner may also want to hire a business lawyer or firm in order to figure out contract disputes, finalize deals, and more.

Another very important reason people hire business lawyers is if they run into tax issues, growth issues, ownership issues and disputes, and more. The great thing that attorneys offer is not only a specialized knowledge 0n what is legal when it comes to business tasks, but also what kind of paperwork you need to file in order to make sure you and your partners are protected.

An attorney’s expertise when it comes to really knowing the legal terms and rules is something that could save you time, money, and a ton of headaches along the way.

Family Law Attorney

Another incredibly popular reason for the need of a lawyer is if you are facing family law issues. Unsurprisingly, the most common family issue that people run into is divorce.

When you are in the midst of a divorce, the need for a family lawyer often arises. Whether it includes visitation rights, child custody, child support, spousal support, or division or property, having a lawyer present to protect your interest is paramount.

Another common need for a family law attorney is if you need to establish guardianship over an individual either because their parents or legal guardians are unable to take care of them, or if the individual is not able to take care of themself due to injury or disability. A lawyer present while this takes place makes sure that both your rights, and the individual you are looking to serve as a guardian’s rights are being respected and kept in mind.

Other reasons that you may need a family law attorney is in cases dealing with juvenile delinquency, child rights, and emancipation. Whiles these issues can indeed be difficult, they can be made a whole lot easier if you make sure that your legal ends are being taken care of.

Estate Lawyer

This is one of the most common uses for a lawyer around. Simply, an estate lawyer is someone who helps you protect your assets for the future. If you have children or are planning to have children in the future, you will absolutely want an estate lawyer to help you make sure that your offspring are the ones who are getting the benefits of your labor.

Effective estate planning will prevent your property going to people who you do not intend them to go to. The way that it could go to someone against your wishes is if you don’t specifically clarify who you want your money to go to. Typically, there are laws in place that decide where money and/or property goes if there are no specific instructions, and once you pass away, you will not be able to control it!  

It also makes sure that in the event of a death, the transfer of wealth will be easy and efficient.

In addition to these tasks, estate lawyers also help individuals set up trusts, wills, and more. They can also be used to reduce or eliminate estate taxes, which can be a huge benefit if your estate is quite large.

Criminal Lawyer

If you have been charged with a crime, chances are good your are going to want to immediately hire a criminal lawyer. Of course, in the many democratic it is law for anyone to be granted a public lawyer in the event that they cannot afford to hire a lawyer themselves, but it is typically advantageous to hire a private lawyer for a number of reasons.

If you have the means to hire a private criminal lawyer, it can help improve your chances of beating your case because their workload is far less extensive than that of a public defender. Also, because they are getting paid by you, it often offers them greater incentive to prioritize your case.

Civil Lawyer

If you have been injured in an accident or have injured someone else, you may face the consequences of a civil suit. A civil suit means that while there are no criminal implications, there can be massive financial ones.

You can be sued for damages, either physical or emotional, and many things in between. If someone is suing you, it could save you tons of money to get a lawyer who can defend you and prove that you are not to blame. They can also help save you money by finding a way to settle with the person suing you for a lower price than their original asking price.

Alternatively, you may also be looking to sue an individual or business for damages. A civil lawyer will help you get the most amount of money owed to you in the event that you are either traumatized or injured from an incident.

Conclusion

In conclusion, you see that there are quite a few reasons why you may need a lawyer. The truth is that it is never a bad idea to have a lawyer available in case you need one.

Whether that is a family member, close friend, a lawyer you pay to have on retainer, you simply never know when you may need someone in your corner who knows the ins and outs of a specific legal matter.

Now that you know the importance of a well-informed and specialized lawyer, it may be time for you to go out and find one that works for you!

Good luck.