How Do We Do It
Linking
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Two fundamental challenges
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Determining what should be linked and inserting links
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Done by hand this can be monumental task
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Links change over time, require reediting of material
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Inserting links
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Consortium's immediate answer is to use XML to build cross index tables
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Parser finds all cites, makes them links
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Build cross index table , X is cited in Y, Y is cited in X
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Thus for Smith v. Jones, would be able to provide links to all other
cases, book snippets, CLE etc. that mention Smith v. Jones.
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legal material lends itself to this approach because of use of citations
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Example of a parser: Austlii
Usermark
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longer term answer is inference engines, e.g. because case mentions "contract"
and "consideration" link to other materials discussing requirements for
a contract
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for first shot, use cross index tables. Not perfect but 80% of job and
usable
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Others willing to share their parsers, would need modest modifications,
they are willing to modify
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Changing links-- The Magic Black Box
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Consortium agreed to build a "Magic Black Box". Prototype completed, should
be in service by end of year
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MBB is server using LDAP protocol
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Send MBB a citation, MBB returns a clickable URL for anywhere in the world
where the cited case can be found
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Link put in text is no longer direct reference to case, rather it is query
to MBB
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Case location changes, it moves elsewhere, the MBB keeps up and one's links
are always correct
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MBB will be open source. Identical approach can be used on local basis
-- cost is trivial (uses OpenLDAP server (free) plus additional programming
(also free)
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MBB can hold material other than cases. can respond with secondary material
as well as primary
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Consortium intends to initially upload MBB with members' holdings, then
add various gov't holdings (e,.g. S. Ct. of Minnesota).
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Can use applet to select which returns from MBB are shown to user.