READ ME* Hello legalWORLD! Welcome to the Torchlight - Legal Repo. This folder is provides an up-to-date activity summary of Torchlight Legal and its intention to make an impact on legal services provided to to the United States.
-- Rafael "RAFA" V. Baca, Esq., Torchlight Legal Friday, May 05, 2017
CONTENTS:
- This READ ME
- ipython notebook - basic database architecture build
- code1S3Upload.py - Loads caselaw to AWS S3 database
- code2RDSbuild.py - Configures structured data that parses each legal case
- code3SQLdataQuery.py - SparkSQL query to new RDS data
**** READE ME: ************************************************ HELP US HELP OUR NATION! Torchlight Legal has been legally incorporated as a non-profit. Importantly, we are asking volunteer "Developer-Activists" who want to take action to ensure that positive changes to the democratic system are for the good of all that share in this bounty of our great nation. Torchlight Legal intends to create a USER INTERFACE for client intake (electronic forms and client information database development) for the phone app. so that vulnerable populations may receive legal services to thus expand and protect the human rights of all.
MISSION STATEMENT: This project is an active continuation of a recent SXSW talk: "Crowdsourcing Justice" where the key idea is to apply an "overarching" software architectures and machine learning models that will provide continuous pro bono legal services by a revolving workforce of Attorneys and interested volunteers for vulnerable populations that typically do not presently share equal access to justice. Through, Torchlight Legal, Pro Bono attorneys are given machine augmented litigation support, such as automated forms and legal research, to ensure existing cases are a success while increasing population of legal represented individuals. Through a simple phone app, Torchlight Legal acts as the user interface between volunteer lawyers and supporting professionals in California, Texas, and New York and those vulnerable individuals who may be hesitant to go directly to law enforcement authorities or employers for help.
Historically, Immigration Law has been our nation's bellwether indicator for ensuring our inalienable, constitutionally-ensured, human rights and access to justice in our democratic society. Current events have challenged these democratic freedoms that should never be taken for granted as immigrants are being turned away from our lands. Additionally, a growing number of poor and vulnerable populations in the U.S. are economically restricted from legal representation (1 lawyer for every 5000 legally harmed), and, thus, direct access to justice.