“The rule of law is foundational to the development of peaceful, equitable and prosperous societies.”
Why is the Rule of Law necessary? Not many of us know the answer to its entirety.
The Rule of Law is the grounds of all other rights. Without the Rule of Law, nothing else operates, there is no contract system (how do you do business, how do you implement your contracts, how do you make money?). Without the Rule of Law, there is no security for intellectual property (how do you preserve your business, inventions, and assets?). Without the Rule of Law, there is no assurance for personal security and abuse (of all sorts). And, without contracts, protection of IP, investment is stunted, private security, capital growth decreases, and commerce cannot flourish. The Rule of Law is not just a “critical to have,” it is an absolute necessity for success. The Rule of Law is not merely an issue for developing countries; it is under continuous threat in all countries of the world, and we must be observant everywhere.
In its most pure form, the rule of law means that “no one is above the law.” The rule of law is a statement that unifies LexisNexis across the globe and is one that is intensely supported by the company’s people. LexisNexis is committed to actively operating to advance the rule of law, through its day-to-day business, commodities and services, and its actions as a corporate citizen. It is the justification for the development of peaceful, equitable, and flourishing societies. For the rule of law to be effective, there must be transparency of law, equality under the law, an independent judiciary, and admittance to legal remedy. Yet, about 57% of the world’s population exists outside the shelter of the law. That’s five billion people endeavoring for fundamental human rights daily. The foundation plans and accomplishes projects which enhance one or more of the critical elements of the rule of law: transparency of the law, equal treatment under the law, access to legal remedy, and independent judiciaries. These projects concentrate on a range of the local, national, region.
The LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation was founded as a not-for-profit entity established to accomplish its mission further to advance the rule of law around the globe. The LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation will enable supervising entities from the judicial, educational, NGO and other sectors to support and implement plans that address one or more of the four rule of law components: transparency of the law, equal treatment under the law, access to legal remedy, and independent judiciaries.
LexisNexis has been actively engaged in advancing the rule of law through works such as the United Nations Global Compact’s Business for the Rule of Law Framework (B4ROL), the International Bar Association eyeWitness to Atrocities app, and the LexisNexis Rule of Law Impact Tracker. In 2017, the company got the Corporate Leadership Award from Freedom House and its Global Legal Department recieved the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Award for advancements in the rule of law. The foundation of the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation is an extension of its commitment to create legal infrastructures and solve deep-rooted problems in holistic approaches that will achieve more strong outcomes and advance the rule of law.
“Rule of law is the structure to the development of nonviolent, equitable, and prosperous worlds,” says Mike Walsh, CEO, LexisNexis Legal & Professional. “Data from the LexisNexis Rule of Law Impact Tracker reveals that when the rule of law is strict in a country, other positive social and economic circumstances within the nation are also strong. It is our desire the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation will present the necessary resources and assistance to shed light on emerging issues critical to encouraging the rule of law around the world.”
To help achieve this, the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation will include collaborations with companies to help increase awareness and knowledge of the rule of law. LexisNexis announced the foundation’s first collaboration with The Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN), an international association of journalism standards that support the training and sharing of information amongst investigative and data journalists – even in repressive governments and marginalized communities. LexisNexis will offer GIJN members obtain to one of the world’s largest electronic databases and analytic tools for judicial, public-records, news, and business information.
“We’re excited to partner with The Global Investigative Journalism Network and present their journalists with access to the most comprehensive kind of information tools at a decreased rate. More than half of the world’s population resides outside the shelter of the law, struggling for basic human rights. Each of us accords the responsibility to bring this percentage down to zero, guaranteeing vulnerable and disadvantaged populations experience equal treatment within criminal and civil justice systems. Working contemporaneously with GIJN will allow us to build greater recognition of the rule of law and strengthen watchdog reporting around the globe,” says Ian McDougall, President of the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation.
UN’s Recognition
Mike also received a Global Leadership Award from the United Nations Foundation in honor of the company’s contributions to advancing the rule of law globally.
Mike was honored at an event beside Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, Dr. Gunhild Stordalen, founder of EAT Forum, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, award-winning author and feminist leader, and several United Nations Heroes. Previous honorees cover Malala Yousafzai, Ban Ki-moon, Desmond Tutu, Angelina Jolie, Barack Obama, and Oprah Winfrey.
In an announcement from Ban Ki-moon, the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations, he said, “I’d like to praise Mike Walsh on his award from the United Nations Foundation for Global Leadership in promoting the rule of law around the world. Mike and the dedicated team at LexisNexis have been at the vanguard of using their core competencies as a business, innovation, and creativity to restore the rule of law in the 130 markets where the company works. Mike is a leader who recognizes that societies without an anticipated legal framework are societies where people do not invest in their tomorrow or the future of their nation and that businesses do better when the world does better. He’s formed a powerful mission for LexisNexis to advance the rule of law for a better tomorrow and to support peace and development as a result.”
“I’m honored and humbled to get this award from the United Nations Foundation and receive on behalf of the dedicated people of LexisNexis,” says Mike. “Our mission to promote the rule of law makes LexisNexis a particular business and place to work because our people can see the clear connection between developing the rule of law and creating a better society. Five billion people in the society today live outside the umbrella protection of the rule of law, addressing them vulnerable to human rights abuses, violence and struggle. We’re working with customers, businesses, and companies like the United Nations to establish legal infrastructures and support advances in the rule of law that will enhance lives.”
LexisNexis has been actively committed to advancing the rule of law through its core operations by establishing equality under the law, transparency of law, independent courts, and accessible legal remedy. The LexisNexis global legal and news database includes 109 billion documents and records implementing transparency into the law in more than 130 countries. The company also gives legal materials and training for courts in more than 100 nations. LexisNexis has helped mobilized the business community to proactively employ in the rule of law with projects such as the United Nations Global Compact’s Business for the Rule of Law Framework (B4ROL) and combined with the International Bar Association to launch the eyeWitness to Atrocities app in aid of human rights. In 2017, the company acquired the Corporate Leadership Award from Freedom House and its Global Legal Department won the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Award for developments in the rule of law. In 2019, the company founded the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation to help build legal infrastructures and solve deep-rooted legal challenges.
The Company with a Mission
LexisNexis is a corporation who has been providing computer-assisted legal research (CALR) as well as business research and risk management services. During the 1970s, LexisNexis discovered the electronic approachability of legal and journalistic documents. As of 2006, the company had the world’s most comprehensive electronic database for legal and public-records related data. LexisNexis Group delivers comprehensive and authoritative legal, industry, government, and tax information global as an industry leader. It combines proprietary brands, advanced Web technologies, and premium data sources for customers in the legal, corporate, government, and educational markets in 100 countries on six continents. With a preeminent position in the U.S., LexisNexis Group also works as the market leader in the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth and as a significant publisher in Continental Europe and Latin America.
LexisNexis teams with customers to present information solutions that drive productive, effective decisions. LexisNexis provides the most authoritative sources in the world, custom made to a user’s workflow, and addressing job-specific and enterprise-wide information requirements. Its legal-publishing brands are leaders inside their respective markets, including the Asia-Pacific region, Butterworths in the United Kingdom and, Les Editions du Juris-Classeur in France and Martindale-Hubbell and Matthew Bender worldwide. Information is presented in whatever medium customers want, including easy-to-use Web-based results, dial-up online, print, and compact disk arrangements, all supported with first-class customer service.
Today, Lexis Advance has the most comprehensive collection of case law, statutes and regulations. Plus 40K+ news sources, 83B+ Public Records, 700M+ company profiles and reports, and a comprehensive list of exclusives across all content classes. Within the Lexis Advance service, the tools you need for docket analysis, litigation analytics, practical guidance, and more are explicitly surfaced where you need them for maximum efficiency. Advanced legal analytics, AI, and visualization technology improve your search and reveal previously unknowable connections in means no one else can.
Recently, LexisNexis Legal & Professional released Context, an AI-enhanced solution that produces insights on judges and expert witnesses to help attorneys best produce, present, and argue their case. Context is a crucial component of the new Lexis Analytics suite of products that gives lawyers more superior knowledge through data-driven insights. The framework analyzes tens of millions of court documents and excerpts specific language that will resonate with a distinct judge, including case language your judge cites most often and the explanation behind his or her rulings, to help draft winning summaries or successfully argue motions. Context also provides comprehensive analyses on expert witnesses, including specific reasons why their statement was excluded and more, so attorneys can better select and justify their expert or impeach the opposition’s authority.
