On the infinite capabilities of a programmer - Law and the Judiciary
Before I get to my point, let me take you on a detour. I was having breakfast on the 1st of Jan with a bunch of friends, and one of the friends' niece. The niece just finished her 8th standard and is moving to the 9th. Every single person at the dining table was from a different career direction - an MBA, a physics student turned programmer, a graduate student studying ecology, an MBBS student and an engineer turned entrepreneur. And we were all talking to her about academics in general and about specific subjects like mathematics and science. Eventually, when it was my turn to talk, I just asked her to learn how to program. No matter what she decides to become, a doctor or an engineer, learning how to program will open new doors for her.
Now, let me get to my main point, which are the infinite new possibilities that arise from being a programmer. Programming is becoming an integral part of every profession and learning how to program will open doors that you didn't even know existed.
Case in point is how programming can be used to help Lawyers and the Judicial system. I came across this article on the need for a Google for the Law (http://www.openlawlib.org/blog/why-isnt-there-a-google-for-the-law/, which talks about how cumbersome the tools for case research currently are and how arduous and time taking it is to find relevant case law. The article goes on to talk about how the Open Law Library was working with various governments to modernizes the law drafting, codifying, and publishing process.
I'm not saying that a lawyer should also be a software developer. What I am saying that being familiar with programming, instead of shunning it away completely, will make you ask such questions like the one above. And more. What use are questions you ask? Well, if you ask the right questions and if you have the initiative, it can become a lucrative business. The example here is the startup casetext (https://casetext.com/about), which develops and sells one such Google for the Law.
There are a lot more examples like this, where a field/industry has adopted programming to drive change. I'll write about such examples when I come across them.
I'd love to hear any comments or feedback that you have. I'd also love to hear if you have a similar story, of how you adopted programming to make your work life easier or fundamentally changed how things are done (at your workplace/in your industry).
Now, let me get to my main point, which are the infinite new possibilities that arise from being a programmer. Programming is becoming an integral part of every profession and learning how to program will open doors that you didn't even know existed.
Case in point is how programming can be used to help Lawyers and the Judicial system. I came across this article on the need for a Google for the Law (http://www.openlawlib.org/blog/why-isnt-there-a-google-for-the-law/, which talks about how cumbersome the tools for case research currently are and how arduous and time taking it is to find relevant case law. The article goes on to talk about how the Open Law Library was working with various governments to modernizes the law drafting, codifying, and publishing process.
I'm not saying that a lawyer should also be a software developer. What I am saying that being familiar with programming, instead of shunning it away completely, will make you ask such questions like the one above. And more. What use are questions you ask? Well, if you ask the right questions and if you have the initiative, it can become a lucrative business. The example here is the startup casetext (https://casetext.com/about), which develops and sells one such Google for the Law.
There are a lot more examples like this, where a field/industry has adopted programming to drive change. I'll write about such examples when I come across them.
I'd love to hear any comments or feedback that you have. I'd also love to hear if you have a similar story, of how you adopted programming to make your work life easier or fundamentally changed how things are done (at your workplace/in your industry).
