Now Someone’s Trying to Disintermediate Lawyers

The Internet is the leading reason for disintermediation (removing the middleman) in many commerce categories: bookstores, travel agents, stock brokers, insurance, music, etc. In the last ten years, the way people buy in some of these categories has radically shifted due to the Web. Now someone is trying it to disintermediate the law profession and using the Internet to do it. Check out wikilaw.

Wikilaw is based on the concept of a wiki and what better way to explain that than sending you to Wikipedia. In a wiki anybody--well almost anybody--can contribute to the content. Wikipedia is an online “encyclopedia” that is made up of contributions from thousands and thousands of people.

Wikilaw is trying to provide free legal advice via their service. They are enlisting law professors, practitioners and law students to submit and share their entries. Hmmmm. Whatever they do, they better get it right or there will probably be a lawsuit.