Start-Up Aiming to Disrupt The Legal System
Just like Uber has done for taxis and FinTech is doing for banking, a new app launched by Schulich MBA/JD student John Wu and co-founders/Osgoode Law students Nathan Lev, Richard James and Devon Gasparotto is aiming to disrupt the legal system.
The founders identified that access to justice is an enormous issue. Just to sit down with a lawyer is a costly endeavor. That sparked the idea for their app Legally Inc. which makes it easy for the everyday person to access effective legal solutions.
Starting small with traffic tickets, the company is aiming to empower people at the grass roots level with Winston, an Artificial Intelligence chatbot currently in beta that provides free, open-access legal information. From booking a trial to arguing a case before a judge, Winston’s guide’s the user through every step of the traffic court process.
“There are a lot of legal issues that are mechanical and don’t require critical analysis,” said CEO John Wu while adding, “we will take what we learn from Winston and apply the same framework to other areas of law so the average person can resolve their legal issues without hiring a costly professional.”
The app finished second in Ontario in the Ministry of the Attorney General’s Access to Justice Challenge. Most recently, they were selected to be the recipient of a $120,000 award through Microsoft’s BizSpark program.
“At the start we were worried of the legality of our company and the potential of being shut down,” Wu said. “But after tremendous support from the Attorney General, community and stakeholders it shows that the legal system and people are open to change.”
For more information or to get involved contact John Wu at jchwu264@gmail.com.