A local startup, born out of the frustrations of legal professionals, is aiming to change a largely paper-based industry with an integrated digital solution. Nearly a year old, Five Square Software has launched a digital legal library and case management system designed to streamline access to legal documents and tools scattered across a bloated service sector.
Yeshiwas Eyasu, founder and CEO of the company behind Ethiopian Legal Insight, anticipates that the country’s more than 5,000 attorneys will soon be registered on the platform. Over the past three decades, the House of People’s Representatives has ratified over 1,340 proclamations, the Council of Ministers has approved around 1,000 regulations, and individual authorities across each Regional State have implemented tens of thousands of directives.
A lawyer himself, with a legal career that includes a tenure as a judge, Yeshiwas has firsthand experience with the challenges of obtaining legal documents and managing court proceedings. “Tens of thousands of documents stretching back decades are randomly distributed across the country,” Yeshiwas told Shega.
He highlighted that access to critical legal documents, including cassation bench rulings, remains out of reach for many legal professionals. “There are serious difficulties in finding documents,” he stated.
Yeshiwas envisions a future where legal professionals will attend court proceedings equipped only with a laptop or smart device. “We want to transform the entire legal experience,” he added.
Formed in September by a group of friends located across the globe, the company onboarded five investors after recognizing the significant capital requirements.
A massive digitization project is currently underway at the Federal Supreme Court, in collaboration with state-owned Ethio Telecom, to establish a Wide Area Network linking all Federal courts in the country. The project, now 76% complete according to last month’s supervisory visit by members of parliament, marks an initial step by the public sector into legal tech.
However, integrating digital tools into the legal landscape has proven challenging, as several dozen startups have come and gone in recent years. Regulatory and cultural barriers have hindered the adoption of technology in the legal profession, with most available services limited to information portals.
A recent report by LexAfrica highlights the growing adoption of legal tech tools across the continent, offering a range of services from documentation to comprehensive legal solutions
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