A Review of Legal Design Methods

Abstract

This chapter explores legal design methods used in legal design research, education, and practice, drawing on a comprehensive review of literature that spans 20 years. The objectives are highly practical, aiming to elucidate the legal design methods employed, their placement within the legal design process, the rationale behind their selection, and experience in implementing them in a legal design sprint. Through a rigorous review of existing scholarship, the authors investigate the selection criteria for various legal design methods, their strategic implementation within the legal design process, and their practical effectiveness. The study incorporates empirical insights gained from implementing these methods in a legal design sprint environment, providing concrete examples of their application and outcomes. The analysis emphasizes the human-centered approach to legal problem-solving, examining how design methodologies can bridge the gap between traditional legal frameworks and user-centric solutions. This research contributes to the growing discourse on the intersection of legal practice and design thinking, offering practitioners, educators, and researchers a structured framework for understanding and implementing legal design methods. It offers valuable insights to those seeking to navigate the dynamic intersection of law and design in a human-centered manner.