New legal research website relies on user crowdsourcing and ratings system
updated on 28 April 2014
A legal research website which relies on crowdsourcing and user ratings for its content was launched last week.
As Legal Futures reports, My Learned Friend (MLF) gets its content entirely through users via crowdsourcing. The quality of the content is then regulated via a rating system which enables users to ‘thumbs up’ good content. Users can also rate case law and legislation as ‘useful’ or ‘not useful’. The site currently covers 22 practice areas and contains the relevant case law and legislation for some 3,000 different types of legal issue. Students can use the service for five pounds a month, while professionals are charged a monthly rate of £9.99.
MLF was launched by a solicitor, Chelsea Bond, and a marketing specialist, Rick Yates. Yates commented: "The way that lawyers seek research information has changed. People want quick access to key information, often on an enquiry-specific basis. They want the assurance that other professionals view that information as relevant and even the opportunity to weigh in on its usefulness. MLF allows us to create a useful legal community that has value and relevance for practising lawyers, as well as a real life legal knowledge pool for students and trainees."
