Sarah A. Sutherland
@parallaxinfo.bsky.social
Digressions on the world, legal data, and information. Author of “Legal Data and Information in Practice” with Routledge Press. Humour may be attempted.
Principal consultant at https://www.parallaxinformation.com/.
📍 Vancouver and Edinburgh
Principal consultant at https://www.parallaxinformation.com/.
📍 Vancouver and Edinburgh
"This is the time of year when many people are getting unwelcome news about something…", so I thought I'd reshare my Slaw column on "Failure and What Comes Next": www.slaw.ca/2019/12/24/f....
December 16, 2025 at 5:40 PM
"This is the time of year when many people are getting unwelcome news about something…", so I thought I'd reshare my Slaw column on "Failure and What Comes Next": www.slaw.ca/2019/12/24/f....
There's one more day to make your Clawbie nominations, please let us know what Canadian legal blogs, podcasts, and social media accounts you've been paying attention to this year by posting here with the #clawbies2025 hashtag. The deadline is Dec. 15 (for more information: www.clawbies.ca).
December 14, 2025 at 9:11 PM
There's one more day to make your Clawbie nominations, please let us know what Canadian legal blogs, podcasts, and social media accounts you've been paying attention to this year by posting here with the #clawbies2025 hashtag. The deadline is Dec. 15 (for more information: www.clawbies.ca).
It seems to me that if you really want to speak with your dead family members, you would be better off with a good medium than an LLM model.
You know what, I have literally millions of words written over 40 years that could be compiled into an LLM representing "me" and still wouldn't come close to being me at all, your grandma's recorded history is confined to a bunch of extremely brief Facebook posts, how's that gonna go
IN DEPTH | If you could speak to your dead grandmother forever, would you?
December 11, 2025 at 7:07 AM
It seems to me that if you really want to speak with your dead family members, you would be better off with a good medium than an LLM model.
.@jordanfurlong.com, @steveamatthews.bsky.social, and I spoke about the #clawbies2025 awards and the state of open legal publishing for one of @cba-news.bsky.social's Legal Futures Fireside Chats: www.cbapd.org/details_en.a....
(the video is free for CBA members and $25 for others)
(the video is free for CBA members and $25 for others)
The Canadian Bar Association : Amplifying Canadian Legal Voices: Examining the Role of the Annual Clawbie Awards (Recording)
Last year, it was predicted that 2025 would be “The Year of the Truth-Teller.” But for legal bloggers, what does that really mean for the profession and the clients it serves? Why do the Clawbies matter, and how do they help shape the conversation around legal issues in Canada?
www.cbapd.org
December 9, 2025 at 5:18 PM
.@jordanfurlong.com, @steveamatthews.bsky.social, and I spoke about the #clawbies2025 awards and the state of open legal publishing for one of @cba-news.bsky.social's Legal Futures Fireside Chats: www.cbapd.org/details_en.a....
(the video is free for CBA members and $25 for others)
(the video is free for CBA members and $25 for others)
My new Slaw column "What Doesn’t Bore You Makes You a Scholar: On Picking a PhD Thesis Topic" was published today:
"When starting a PhD thesis or other long piece of writing (any substantial intellectual project really), choosing the right topic is a significant part…"
www.slaw.ca/2025/12/09/w...
"When starting a PhD thesis or other long piece of writing (any substantial intellectual project really), choosing the right topic is a significant part…"
www.slaw.ca/2025/12/09/w...
What Doesn't Bore You Makes You a Scholar: On Picking a PhD Thesis Topic - Slaw
When starting a PhD thesis or other long piece of writing (any substantial intellectual project really), choosing the right topic is a significant part of whether the end result will be successful. Gr...
www.slaw.ca
December 9, 2025 at 1:56 PM
My new Slaw column "What Doesn’t Bore You Makes You a Scholar: On Picking a PhD Thesis Topic" was published today:
"When starting a PhD thesis or other long piece of writing (any substantial intellectual project really), choosing the right topic is a significant part…"
www.slaw.ca/2025/12/09/w...
"When starting a PhD thesis or other long piece of writing (any substantial intellectual project really), choosing the right topic is a significant part…"
www.slaw.ca/2025/12/09/w...
I'm happy to be in Turin, Italy, today for the 38th Jurix Conference. I look forward to learning about what people are working on and catching up with other attendees.
jurix2025.di.unito.it
jurix2025.di.unito.it
December 9, 2025 at 8:34 AM
I'm happy to be in Turin, Italy, today for the 38th Jurix Conference. I look forward to learning about what people are working on and catching up with other attendees.
jurix2025.di.unito.it
jurix2025.di.unito.it
Came across this observation from Joshua Walker's "On Legal AI" (2019) today in my research folders: ending war or contract disputes is not going to happen soon, but "ending X% of stupid disputes is a quest within our immediate grasp."
It would have been cool if we had done this.
It would have been cool if we had done this.
December 6, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Came across this observation from Joshua Walker's "On Legal AI" (2019) today in my research folders: ending war or contract disputes is not going to happen soon, but "ending X% of stupid disputes is a quest within our immediate grasp."
It would have been cool if we had done this.
It would have been cool if we had done this.
.@cyberjusticelab.bsky.social has shared the video of the panel I spoke on at the ACT Conference in October. Please take a look if you are interested in some of what I've been researching.
🎥 Watch it now: Young Researchers - AI & Tech, Justice and Politics (ACT Partnership Conference’s Final Panel)
youtu.be/zQ-pcxUPu6c
youtu.be/zQ-pcxUPu6c
Young Researchers: AI & Tech, Justice and Politics
YouTube video by Laboratoire de cyberjustice
youtu.be
December 5, 2025 at 4:34 PM
.@cyberjusticelab.bsky.social has shared the video of the panel I spoke on at the ACT Conference in October. Please take a look if you are interested in some of what I've been researching.
Tonight I was told that the combo of Tamanaha on legal pluralism and wine is iconic.
December 5, 2025 at 5:02 AM
Tonight I was told that the combo of Tamanaha on legal pluralism and wine is iconic.
Reposted by Sarah A. Sutherland
Big thanks goes out to Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert @geeklawblog.com for helping us kickoff #clawbies2025 on their Geek in Review Podcast. Happy 20th Clawbies anniversary to my judging colleagues Sarah Sutherland @parallaxinfo.bsky.social and @jordanfurlong.com!
#legaltech #legalpublishing #aiinlaw #legalblogging #substack #clawbies #truthinlaw #legalcommunity #legalinnovation #thegeekinreview #tgir | Marlene Gebauer
Lawyers as truthtellers. Steve Matthews, Owner of Stem Legal Web Enterprises, Inc., Sarah A. Sutherland, Founder and Principal Consultant at Parallax Information Consulting Ltd., and Jordan Furlong, P...
www.linkedin.com
December 1, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Big thanks goes out to Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert @geeklawblog.com for helping us kickoff #clawbies2025 on their Geek in Review Podcast. Happy 20th Clawbies anniversary to my judging colleagues Sarah Sutherland @parallaxinfo.bsky.social and @jordanfurlong.com!
I'm grateful to have been invited back to judge the Clawbie Awards again for their 20th year with @steveamatthews.bsky.social and @jordanfurlong.com. Please send us your nominations using the #Clawbies2025 hashtag!
Here's more information and the formal announcement: www.clawbies.ca/2025/12/20th...
Here's more information and the formal announcement: www.clawbies.ca/2025/12/20th...
20th Annual Clawbies – Nominations Now Open! #clawbies2025
“It was twenty years ago today…” Where were you in December 2006? Were you listening to speeches from Prime Minister Paul Martin or US President George W. Bush? Just returned from seeing Borat in t…
www.clawbies.ca
December 1, 2025 at 5:03 PM
I'm grateful to have been invited back to judge the Clawbie Awards again for their 20th year with @steveamatthews.bsky.social and @jordanfurlong.com. Please send us your nominations using the #Clawbies2025 hashtag!
Here's more information and the formal announcement: www.clawbies.ca/2025/12/20th...
Here's more information and the formal announcement: www.clawbies.ca/2025/12/20th...
Reposted by Sarah A. Sutherland
Very useful & interesting couple of days at LVI2025, Law via the Internet conf www.lvi2025.org/program/ - "Shaping the Future of Legal Accessibility: Improving access to law through legal info, tech & AI” in Sydney at AustLII (Australasian Legal Information Institute www.austlii.edu.au/about.html)
LVI 2025: Program & Speakers | Law via the Internet Conference 12-14 November 2025
Connect with a diverse international community of legal professionals, technologists, policymakers, and researchers.
www.lvi2025.org
November 14, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Very useful & interesting couple of days at LVI2025, Law via the Internet conf www.lvi2025.org/program/ - "Shaping the Future of Legal Accessibility: Improving access to law through legal info, tech & AI” in Sydney at AustLII (Australasian Legal Information Institute www.austlii.edu.au/about.html)
I am happy to share that we have started a not-for-profit organization called @nomosanalytica.bsky.social with the goal of doing independent research to assist in supporting positive development in the Canadian legal system.
We will be sharing more information in the coming months as we grow.
We will be sharing more information in the coming months as we grow.
Hello world!
@nomosanalytica.bsky.social was created by @parallaxinfo.bsky.social & Lachlan Deyong to work toward public interest research to create human-centered change in the legal system.
We are exploring what that will look like, but like what we see so far. Learn more here:
nomosanalytica.org
@nomosanalytica.bsky.social was created by @parallaxinfo.bsky.social & Lachlan Deyong to work toward public interest research to create human-centered change in the legal system.
We are exploring what that will look like, but like what we see so far. Learn more here:
nomosanalytica.org
Nomos Analytica
nomosanalytica.org
November 11, 2025 at 11:33 PM
I am happy to share that we have started a not-for-profit organization called @nomosanalytica.bsky.social with the goal of doing independent research to assist in supporting positive development in the Canadian legal system.
We will be sharing more information in the coming months as we grow.
We will be sharing more information in the coming months as we grow.
I am looking forward to speaking about my research in my session "Narrowing the Gaps Between Primary Law and Computational Systems Through Better Parsing of Secondary Document Elements." at the Law Via the Internet Conference next week in Sydney.
Here's the full program: lvi2025.org/program/
Here's the full program: lvi2025.org/program/
November 4, 2025 at 4:27 PM
I am looking forward to speaking about my research in my session "Narrowing the Gaps Between Primary Law and Computational Systems Through Better Parsing of Secondary Document Elements." at the Law Via the Internet Conference next week in Sydney.
Here's the full program: lvi2025.org/program/
Here's the full program: lvi2025.org/program/
I'm looking forward to presenting "Selective Memory: A Case Study on the Limits of Using Case Law to Understand Legal History", which will share research I have been working on with Amy Swiffen and Alec Duncan at the Law Via the Internet Conference in Sydney, next month. lvi2025.org/program/
LVI 2025: Program & Speakers | Law via the Internet Conference 12-14 November 2025
Connect with a diverse international community of legal professionals, technologists, policymakers, and researchers.
lvi2025.org
October 27, 2025 at 11:43 PM
I'm looking forward to presenting "Selective Memory: A Case Study on the Limits of Using Case Law to Understand Legal History", which will share research I have been working on with Amy Swiffen and Alec Duncan at the Law Via the Internet Conference in Sydney, next month. lvi2025.org/program/
My Slaw column "Quantitative Assessment of Access to Justice Initiatives" was published today.
www.slaw.ca/2025/10/08/q...
www.slaw.ca/2025/10/08/q...
Quantitative Assessment of Access to Justice Initiatives - Slaw
Quantitative methods are at once well-established and novel when speaking about access to justice. We’ve been reporting on our activities to funders, boards, and communities for decades, but we’ve als...
www.slaw.ca
October 8, 2025 at 3:54 PM
My Slaw column "Quantitative Assessment of Access to Justice Initiatives" was published today.
www.slaw.ca/2025/10/08/q...
www.slaw.ca/2025/10/08/q...
The categories of academic collaborators and nerdy friends with overlapping niche interests seem to significantly overlap…
September 18, 2025 at 6:16 PM
The categories of academic collaborators and nerdy friends with overlapping niche interests seem to significantly overlap…
I'm looking forward to presenting on "Process, Purpose, and Time: Examining the Gap Between Judicial Decision Making and Legal Prediction" at the Autonomy through Cyberjustice Technologies (ACT) Conference at @cyberjusticelab.bsky.social on Oct 16
Registration: fcdroit.umontreal.ca/Web/MyCatalo...
Registration: fcdroit.umontreal.ca/Web/MyCatalo...
Formation continue en droit
Colloques, conférences, formations spécialisées et autres activités. En développant de nombreuses activités adaptées de formation continue, la Faculté entretient des liens solides avec ses anciens é...
fcdroit.umontreal.ca
September 3, 2025 at 3:55 PM
I'm looking forward to presenting on "Process, Purpose, and Time: Examining the Gap Between Judicial Decision Making and Legal Prediction" at the Autonomy through Cyberjustice Technologies (ACT) Conference at @cyberjusticelab.bsky.social on Oct 16
Registration: fcdroit.umontreal.ca/Web/MyCatalo...
Registration: fcdroit.umontreal.ca/Web/MyCatalo...
Good morning!
I started working on a daily art habit some months ago. Here’s yesterday’s sketch.
I started working on a daily art habit some months ago. Here’s yesterday’s sketch.
July 14, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Good morning!
I started working on a daily art habit some months ago. Here’s yesterday’s sketch.
I started working on a daily art habit some months ago. Here’s yesterday’s sketch.
Ah, the traditional Monday morning ritual when I have a moment of panic about not getting enough done yet this week before 9am on Monday morning.
July 14, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Ah, the traditional Monday morning ritual when I have a moment of panic about not getting enough done yet this week before 9am on Monday morning.
I'm happy to share that I joined UVic Access to Justice Centre for Excellence as a research fellow.
I'm looking forward to working with so many new smart and interesting people!
bcace.org
I'm looking forward to working with so many new smart and interesting people!
bcace.org
BC ACE
bcace.org
July 7, 2025 at 3:01 PM
I'm happy to share that I joined UVic Access to Justice Centre for Excellence as a research fellow.
I'm looking forward to working with so many new smart and interesting people!
bcace.org
I'm looking forward to working with so many new smart and interesting people!
bcace.org
I'm looking forward to presenting on "Quantitative Assessment of Access to Justice Initiatives" at the 2025 People-Centred Justice Workshop on May 30-31 in Vancouver. There's still time to register. I hope to see you there!
Here's the registration link: docs.google.com/forms/d/17DV....
Here's the registration link: docs.google.com/forms/d/17DV....
May 6, 2025 at 3:27 PM
I'm looking forward to presenting on "Quantitative Assessment of Access to Justice Initiatives" at the 2025 People-Centred Justice Workshop on May 30-31 in Vancouver. There's still time to register. I hope to see you there!
Here's the registration link: docs.google.com/forms/d/17DV....
Here's the registration link: docs.google.com/forms/d/17DV....
"Justice is an abstract ideal whose precise content in any particular dispute is uncertain and debatable.…the law is a kind of system, a collection of principles, makeshifts fictions and expedients, none of them unchangeable, and most varying in character…" - Lord McCluskey, 1987
April 15, 2025 at 3:58 PM
"Justice is an abstract ideal whose precise content in any particular dispute is uncertain and debatable.…the law is a kind of system, a collection of principles, makeshifts fictions and expedients, none of them unchangeable, and most varying in character…" - Lord McCluskey, 1987
Reposted by Sarah A. Sutherland
“If one already knows the thought that one wants to express, it is possible to assess whether text generated by AI captures it correctly. However, this hope neglects that the process of writing is not—or not usually—a mechanical one, whereby we put on paper thoughts that we already possess […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
April 4, 2025 at 7:07 PM
“If one already knows the thought that one wants to express, it is possible to assess whether text generated by AI captures it correctly. However, this hope neglects that the process of writing is not—or not usually—a mechanical one, whereby we put on paper thoughts that we already possess […]