The 2021 Legal Design Derby

The Challenge

How might we carry forward the legal system’s resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic to maximize access to justice?

Learn more in this video from Dean April Dawson and Jeff Kelly

Additional questions to consider:

  • What lessons were learned during the pandemic that give us insights into access to justice?
  • Legal systems adapted – what worked? What possibilities emerged?
  • What didn’t work? What do we need to do to guard against future disruptions to the legal system?

In order to be accessible to law students from multiple North Carolina schools, the Legal Design Derby was held virtually in fall 2021. Additionally, some content was live while other content was shared asynchronously, with activities for individual teams to complete on their own schedule. Students on teams where all participants are from the same Law School were welcome to meet in-person for group work as they are comfortable and able. Final presentations of the developed idea were reviewed by a panel of judges and monetary prizes were awarded to the top teams. 

The Legal Design Derby was open to all North Carolina law school students and was co-hosted by Duke Center on Law & Tech and North Carolina Central University Technology Law and Policy Center. The program was sponsored by Lawyers Mutual Consulting + Services and Nelson Mullins in Fall 2021.

Playbook

Legal Design Derby Playbook

Download the 2021 Legal Design Derby Playbook (PDF).

Meet the Teams

Team 1: Vabrice Wilder Smiley, Brittany Burks, Hillary Teoyotl, & Lexus Real

We are all passionate about the intersection of Law and Technology. (NCCU School of Law)

Team 2: Adaora L Oguno, Kayla Mitchell, & Asia Skyers

We are all currently 2nd year law students and share an interest in law and technology. (NCCU School of Law)

Team 3: Antonia Markoviti, Miroslav Georgiev, & Arthur Adler

Three Europeans who are studying in a different country than their home one decided to form a diverse team after spending the Labor Day weekend together. (Duke University School of Law)

Team 4: Kathia Selena Buenrostro, Caroline Jones, & Quianna Lewis

We are a team of students interested in exploring the interdependencies between technological innovation and the future of the legal profession. We want to focus on developing innovative solutions to issues facing our profession today. (Campbell Law & Elon Law)

Team 5: Cameron Benton, Delany Davis, & Comfort Johnson

While many of us do not know each other too personally, we are all very eager to gain a new experience and learn new ways of problem solving. (NCCU School of Law)

Team 6: Robbie Morrison, Mashhura Murodillaeva, & Miguel Herrera

We are all LLMs at Duke University School of Law. We were brought together by a common interest in law and tech issues, and a desire to learn design thinking. We are all practicing lawyers in our home countries and have experienced the challenges of practice during this pandemic and the flow on effects on access to justice. This is a project which enables us to bring our shared experiences and skills to solve vital problems facing the legal system.

The Solutions Showcase

The 2021 Legal Design Derby Solutions Showcase was held virtually on November 5, 2021, highlighting the work done by teams of students as part of the Legal Design Derby in Fall 2021. Thank you to our judges, Sonja Ebron, Keith Robinson, Norah Rogers, and Camille Stell for your time and expertise! 

Congratulations to the winners!

Four women standing on the steps outside of the NCCU Law
Team 1: Vabrice Wilder Smiley, Brittany Burks, Hillary Teoyotl, & Lexus Real of NCCU Law

First Place: TEAM 1

Second Place: TEAM 3 & TEAM 6 (tie)

Duke LLM students from teams 3 and 6
Teams 3 & 6: Antonia Markoviti, Arthur Adler, & Miroslav Georgiev (top row), Mashhura Murodillaeva, Miguel Herrera & Robbie Morrison (bottom row)

Watch the recording below or read the transcript.