NuLawLab Co-Launches MAPLE, A Tool to Increase Public Discourse
4.25.23 —Northeastern University School of Law’s NuLawLab announced today the launch of the Massachusetts Platform for Legislative Engagement (MAPLE) — a web-based tool that allows Massachusetts residents and organizations to easily submit testimony on pending state legislation on Beacon Hill. MAPLE is a collaboration led by Matthew Victor, a recent graduate of Boston College School of Law, and data scientist Nathan Sanders, an affiliate of Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center, together with NuLawLab and volunteer developers from Code for Boston.
“Public participation is essential to the legislative process in a representative democracy. Yet here in Massachusetts, it has not always been easy for residents to make their voices heard. The NuLawLab’s latest digital project aims to change that by substantially streamlining the process for residents to submit written testimony on bills,” said Dan Jackson ’97, executive director of NuLawLab. “We are excited to be a part of this latest civic technology effort and to give Northeastern Law students the opportunity to contribute to building MAPLE.”
The goals of this digital creation are to increase access to the legislative process, engage a wider set of stakeholders and perspectives in policy making, distribute information about pending legislation, and promote greater transparency in government.
“MAPLE is a grassroots project driven by the incredibly talented volunteers of Code for Boston and made possible by the NuLawLab. We are taking a highly community-driven approach to raising the level of engagement between the residents of Massachusetts and our legislature,” said Sanders.
MAPLE is already garnering press attention in CommonWealth magazine, Masster List and The Boston Globe.
About Northeastern University School of Law
The nation’s leader in experiential legal education since 1968, Northeastern University School of Law offers the longest-running, most extensive experience-based legal education program in the country. Northeastern guarantees its students unparalleled practical legal work experiences through its signature Cooperative Legal Education Program. More than 1,000 employers worldwide in a wide range of legal, government, nonprofit and business organizations participate in the program. With a focus on social justice and innovation, Northeastern University School of Law blends theory and practice, providing students with a unique set of skills and experiences to successfully practice law.
For more information, contact d.feldman@northeastern.edu.