A
number
of
leaders
from
the
legal
technology
community
are
joining
other
legal
professionals
in
an
open
letter
supporting
the
rule
of
law.
“Lawyers,
judges,
and
government
officials
all
take
an
oath
to
support
and
defend
the
constitution,”
the
letter
says.
“We
write
at
a
moment
when
constitutional
rights
and
legal
norms,
long
considered
stable,
are
being
challenged.
Today,
our
profession
must
speak
clearly
and
firmly.”
You
can
view
the
full
text
of
the
letter
and
add
your
name
as
a
supporter
at
this
page.
One
of
the
organizers
of
the
letter
is
Damien
Riehl,
solutions
champion
at
Clio,
who
lives
in
the
Twin
Cities
where
federal
agents
shot
and
killed
Minneapolis
resident
Alex
Pretti
on
Saturday.
“History
will
judge
us,”
Riehl
said
in
an
email.
“Who
is
standing
up
for
justice?
Who
is
remaining
silent?”
Lawyers,
Riehl
said,
have
an
obligation
to
uphold
the
rule
of
law
and
to
use
their
voices
to
advance
justice.
“That
has
always
been
true,”
he
said.
“And
it’s
never
been
truer
than
right
now.
If
we
don’t
stand
up
and
be
counted,
as
supporting
the
rule
of
law,
who
will?”
This
moment
even
has
implications
for
legal
tech,
he
said.
“If
the
rule
of
law
is
ignored,
what
happens
to
legal
tech?
What
good
is
a
tool
that
tells
you
the
law,
that
isn’t
followed?
…
Even
if
you’re
not
moved
by
our
professional
and
moral
obligations,
please
be
moved
by
your
pocketbook.”
Another
who
helped
organize
the
sign-on
campaign
is
Kara
Peterson,
cofounder
and
CEO
of
Descrybe.ai.
In
an
email,
she
said
that
the
rule
of
law
is
foundation
to
the
work
of
legal
tech
innovators.
“When
you
spend
time
in
legal
tech,
you
quickly
realize
that
our
work
depends
on
something
deeper
than
innovation:
legitimacy,”
she
said.
“We
can
build
smarter
search,
better
analytics,
and
more
accessible
tools,
but
none
of
it
matters
if
rules
don’t
constrain
power
and
rights
can
be
overridden
without
consequence.
…
“This
letter
is
us
saying:
we
support
the
rule
of
law.
We
support
judicial
independence
and
accountability.
And
we
believe
those
principles
are
not
partisan.
They
are
foundational.
If
we
don’t
stand
up
for
the
conditions
that
make
law
meaningful,
we
shouldn’t
be
surprised
when
the
work
we
do
becomes
meaningless
too.”
The
letter
says
it
best:
“We,
the
undersigned,
support
and
defend
the
rule
of
law.
We
support
impartial
investigations
wherever
governmental
actions
raise
credible
legal
and
constitutional
questions.
And
we
insist
on
accountability
and
judicial
independence
as
a
business
value
and
a
societal
imperative.
We
cross
geographic
and
political
lines,
supporting
our
common
ideals.
Because
without
the
rule
of
law,
our
lives
—
our
work,
our
institutions,
and
our
society
—
all
lose
value.”
I
have
added
my
name.
I
hope
many
others
do
as
well.