New school case law knowledge management

Abstract

Knowledge management has become increasingly important in all organisations and those that are active in the legal field in particular. Information technology is playing an increasingly significant role within knowledge management. This article deals with knowledge management in the field of case law, as it is vital for lawyers to keep abreast of (or to 'monitor') judicial decisions. It addresses the use of information technology to provide and disseminate knowledge about case law. It examines methods for knowledge management that are helpful in the context of extensive databases but will also be of use in systems where there is not yet an abundance of digitally available case law. The solution is seen in terms of the jurimetrical analysis of case law, supported by conceptual legal information retrieval systems. The relative lack of interest in jurimetrics that has characterised the 'old school' approach to law must now give way to the 'new school' approach, where such new technology is embraced and put to effective use.