Online legal eagles triumph

An online legal research company formed by ANU graduates has been named the national micro business of the year for 2005, only weeks after taking out the award for the ACT.

Research One is Australia’s first specific web-based research tool for lawyers, offering customised background information prepared by experts from around the world.

Faculty of Law graduate Troy Simpson, who founded the company with IT and Commerce graduate Fabian Serena, says the idea arose out of a major project at the Faculty of Law.

“While helping to research The Oxford Companion to the High Court of Australia (2002), we found that legal practitioners and academic lawyers approach legal research and writing in vastly different ways,” Mr Simpson says.

“Our company is trying to bridge the gulf by combining the analytical rigour, knowledge of research tools, and research experience of the law school academic, with an understanding of the time pressures and work conditions of modern law firms.

After only three years in operation, Mr Simpson says the business is receiving more than accolades — its research is also influencing the outcomes of major cases here and overseas.

Mr Simpson says the quality of scholarship at the Faculty of Law has left a lasting impression on him and played a central part in the success of the company, crediting one man in particular as a major influence.

“Professor Michael Coper, the faculty’s dean, helped me to see how the law is so much more than a system of pre-existing rules just waiting to be found and mechanically applied. He also has the ability to convey complex ideas in simple, elegant prose. I am still jealous about the way he can do this without any apparent effort!

“He shows the value of creative thinking, not only in solving legal problems but also when managing administrative issues. I think a good part of Research One’s success is due to the insights Professor Coper has imparted.”

Professor Coper, who is also the Robert Garran Professor of Law, says he was overjoyed after hearing news of the win.

“The Research One team has demonstrated admirable skill and ingenuity in getting this far, and the risk they have taken is being repaid through growing commissions and awards such as this.

“They are using cutting-edge technology and plenty of nous to break new ground in the legal field, and deserve every success.”

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