General systems unit

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Propositions

• What is the purpose of the legal department? Wider: what is the purpose of any part of the federation?

The “client” may not be who you think it is

Who is your client?

The business is not your only client. In fact, it is barely a client at all. “Sure, whatever, go for it but just be quick about it and don’t upset my client”. More important client stakeholders are: credit, operations, chief operating office.

Who, within your client, is your client?

Are you getting calls from contractors in Hyderabad? Rather than throttling legal demand by charging for it, why not do that structurally, but limiting who — what grade — is allowed to seek it?

The “product” may not be what you think it is

What is your product?

The document is not the product. The lawyer is not the product. Technology is not the product.

• What is the problem: distinguish between problems and symptoms. Inanimate objects — like documents, and templates — are rarely problems: they are symptoms of problems. Formal structures are rarely problems (or even all that relevant). Problems arise in interactions For example: a crappy document

• Is what we focus on really the problem?

=What will your product look like in 100 years

You know, when there are flyng cars, teleportation, and faster than light travel. This is a thought experiment to separate the essence from the substrate.

What is the general systems unit?

• A source of knowledge on how to optimise human processes and systems.
• In scope: use of language, legal,

What it isn’t

• A plain-English drafting service
• A legal technology platform