Our Approach to Building for Justice

How we're developing technology that truly serves public defenders and their clients. Every decision is guided by real defender needs, security requirements, and the pursuit of justice.

Development Principles

Four core principles guide every feature we build and every decision we make.

Co-Design with Defenders

Every feature is designed in partnership with practicing public defenders who understand the real challenges of criminal defense work.

Security by Design

CJIS compliance, end-to-end encryption, and role-based access are built into the foundation, not added as an afterthought.

Evidence-Based Validation

All features are tested and validated by practicing attorneys in real-world scenarios before release.

Problem-First Development

We start with defender pain points and work backward to technology solutions, not the other way around.

Design Philosophy

Three fundamental beliefs about how technology should serve criminal defense.

Attorney Control Always

AI assists and organizes, but attorneys maintain complete control over all case decisions and strategy.

How This Works in Practice

  • All AI suggestions are clearly marked and editable
  • Review tracking can be disabled or reset at any time
  • Original files remain untouched for authenticity
  • Attorneys decide what information is shared and with whom

Workflow Integration

Technology should fit into existing defender workflows, not force defenders to change how they work.

How This Works in Practice

  • Works with existing DA portals without requiring cooperation
  • Integrates with current file organization systems
  • Supports both individual and team collaboration models
  • Adapts to different office structures and procedures

Justice-Centered Design

Every feature decision is evaluated against the goal of providing effective counsel to every client.

How This Works in Practice

  • Prioritizes thorough case preparation over speed
  • Supports documentation of diligent attorney review
  • Technology that's simple to use with minimal learning curve
  • Ensures complete discovery review meets professional standards

Technical Development Process

How we build, test, and release features that meet the rigorous demands of criminal defense work.

1

Iterative Development

Release small, tested features frequently rather than large, untested updates.

Continuous iteration with defender feedback
2

Defender-Driven Roadmap

Feature priorities are set by defender feedback, not technology trends.

Regular priority reviews with partner offices
3

Real-World Testing

All features are tested with actual case files and defender workflows.

Beta testing with partner offices before general release
4

Continuous Compliance

Legal and security compliance is monitored and updated continuously.

Ongoing security audits and compliance reviews

Security-First Architecture

Client liberty depends on data security. We build with CJIS compliance and defense-grade security from the foundation up.

CJIS-Compliant

US data centers

End-to-End Encryption

All data protected

Role-Based Access

Granular permissions

Complete Audit Trails

Chain-of-custody

View Complete Security Framework

Why This Approach Matters

For Defenders

  • Technology that actually fits your workflow instead of forcing you to adapt
  • Confidence that client data is protected to the highest standards
  • Features that help meet professional obligations for thorough case preparation
  • Continuous improvement based on real defender feedback and needs

For Justice

  • More thorough case preparation leads to better representation for every client
  • Technology that levels the playing field between prosecution and defense
  • Reduced risk of ineffective counsel due to overwhelming caseloads
  • Better identification of exculpatory evidence and potential case weaknesses

Help Shape Our Development

Our approach only works with active defender participation. Share your workflow challenges, test our prototypes, and help us build technology that truly serves justice.