Month: March 2016
ODR: no longer just an alternative
Since ODR began to be discussed, developed and applied, which was as long ago as towards the end of the last century, it has commonly been thought of that there was an invisible “A” in the acronym so that ODR really referred to Online Alternative Dispute Resolution. That was understandable given that all instances of […]
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What is the blockchain?
A blockchain is literally a chain of blocks of data recording transactions, connected using digital, cryptographic signatures. Confusingly, blockchain technology is often referred to simply as “Blockchain” (with cap B) or as “the blockchain” (with the definite article prepended). No doubt this usage stems from its initially unique and most widely-known application as the technology […]
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Unblocking the resale of digital goods
An edition of the Economist last November was uncharacteristically effusive about the blockchain. On the cover, it called it “The Trust Machine”, and said that it is a technology that “could change the world’. In a lead article, it explains that the “blockchain lets people who have no particular confidence in each other collaborate without […]
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Lawbore: legal education made fun
Law is a very book-heavy subject; there’s no escaping it. Our students come out of university with a law degree and a bad back. Despite progress with e-books, the students’ fond reliance on textbooks and the publishers’ inability to find a pricing model that works has meant that most students can be found studying with […]
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Middle Temple Library in the internet age
Middle Temple is one of the four Inns of Court responsible for calling students to the Bar. It is a modern institution with ancient foundations, and this can be handily demonstrated by how the Library has grappled with new technology over the centuries, leading us into the internet Age. A library has existed at Middle […]
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Clerksroom Direct: public access in motion
Clerksroom Chambers was created 15 years ago out of a passionate belief that it was time for change at the Bar. It took years for the model to be accepted by both the Bar and the legal industry (particularly the Bar) as we are a limited company led by a Managing Director owner and one […]
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Big Data: an introduction
The term “big data” essentially refers to very large sets of data, as well as the processes used for capturing, analysing and extracting value from these data sets. An often-quoted definition of big data is Gartner’s 3 Vs: “Big data is high-volume, high-velocity and/or high-variety information assets that demand cost-effective, innovative forms of information processing […]
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