'''OnRamp Systems''' is a legal technology company that specializes in applying people, process, and technology in support of corporate legal departments. OnRamp System’s collaborative platform, Legal OnRamp, has been cited by Harvard Law School as one of the first to combine law and technology.<ref name="ReferenceA">"The Pragmatic Innovator", ''The Practice'', Harvard Law School 1:2 (January 2015)</ref>
==History==
===Online Community===
In 2007, OnRamp Systems founded a free collaboration platform called Legal OnRamp, for in-house counsel and private practitioners to connect and share information virtually.<ref>[https://www.linkedin.com/company/onramp-systems-inc. "OnRamp Systems, Inc.," LinkedIn.com, https://www.linkedin.com/company/onramp-systems-inc. (accessed March 23, 2015).]</ref> Legal OnRamp featured many elements common to social networking websites, including message boards, blogs, databases, open and closed groups, calendars of professional events, and open forums for discussion and document sharing.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Legal OnRamp: "Law Firm 2.0"? {{!}} Adam Smith, Esq. |url=https://adamsmithesq.com/2007/04/eagleeyed_readers_of_my_a/ |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=adamsmithesq.com}}</ref> Membership was by invitation and limited to attorneys and third-party legal service providers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Legal Onramp to Add 14,000 In-House Lawyers as Members : Larry Bodine Law Marketing Blog |url=http://blog.larrybodine.com/2009/09/articles/clients/legal-onramp-to-add-14000-inhouse-lawyers-as-members/ |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=blog.larrybodine.com}}</ref>
In 2014, Legal OnRamp re-launched its online platform updating some elements of the earlier site and incorporating more recently developed collaborative tools.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.legalonramp.com/ |title=Legal OnRamp |access-date=March 17, 2015 |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20120608195300/http%3A//legalonramp.com/ |archive-date=June 8, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
=== OnRamp and Legal Innovation ===
Led by its CEO Paul Lippe, Legal OnRamp is identified with innovation in the legal industry.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Specifically, Legal OnRamp has been noted for unconventional approaches to large-scale legal projects,<ref name="ParnellForbes">{{Cite web |last=Parnell |first=David J. |title=Paul Lippe Of Legal OnRamp: Every Legal Department Will Seek To "Cisco-ify" Themselves |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidparnell/2014/04/21/paul-lippe-of-legal-onramp-on-the-legal-market-david-parnell/ |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref><ref name=FeldmanNortheastern>[http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/71d410e3#/71d410e3/24 Deborah Feldman, "Oh The Places You'll Go: Northeastern Graduates Pave the Way with Legal OnRamp," ''Northeastern Law Magazine,'' Summer 2014, 22, http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/71d410e3#/71d410e3/24 (accessed March 23, 2015).]</ref> attorney training,<ref name=FeldmanNortheastern/><ref name="Apprenticeramp">{{Cite web |title=Syllabus |url=http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/publications/syllabus_home/ |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=www.americanbar.org}}</ref> and legal work product.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-04-05 |title=Paul Lippe – Legal By Design – Computational Legal Studies |url=https://computationallegalstudies.com/2014/04/05/paul-lippe-legal-by-design/ |access-date=2023-05-26 |language=en-US}}</ref> In addition, Lippe writes for the American Bar Association Legal Rebels blog “the New Normal,” which discusses “how the practice of law is being remade.”<ref>{{Cite web |title=Legal Rebels - ABAJournal.com |url=https://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/new_normal/ |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=www.abajournal.com}}</ref>
=== Industry Support and Alliances ===
Mark Chandler, General Counsel for CISCO Systems, encouraged Lippe to build the collaborative platform aimed at negotiating proper value for work.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Journal |first=A. B. A. |title=New Routes Into the Corporate Door |url=https://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/new_routes_into_the_corporate_door |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=ABA Journal |language=en}}</ref> OnRamp has also garnered support from Allen & Overy, one of the UK’s “Magic Circle” firms.<ref name=ParnellForbes/> In 2009, The Corporate Executive Board Company began a strategic collaboration with OnRamp as part of an initiative to bring new resources to law department members of the General Counsel Roundtable.<ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a6H8pCa4ikJ4 "Corporate Executive Board Joins Forces with Legal OnRamp, Legal Web 2.0 Collaboration Leader," Bloomberg press release, July 16, 2009, on the Bloomberg website, https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a6H8pCa4ikJ4 (accessed March 23, 2015).]</ref> In 2010, the global law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP increased its investment in Legal OnRamp.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-04-02 |title=Orrick Makes Further Investment in Leading Collaboration Platform Legal OnRamp |website=Reuters |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/04/27/idUS182319+27-Apr-2010+BW20100427 |access-date=2023-05-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402095835/http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/04/27/idUS182319+27-Apr-2010+BW20100427 |archive-date=2015-04-02 }}</ref>
=== Development of Products and Services ===
Following the success of the Legal OnRamp collaboration platform, OnRamp Systems launched a number of private, enterprise-scale, collaboration platform projects.<ref name=ParnellForbes/> The OnRamp Exchange (ORX) system allows attorneys to collaborate with large teams as well as store and manage documents.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> The focus of these projects is on managing legal complexity at the systems and data level, instead of relying on complex reasoning.<ref name=FeldmanNortheastern/>
=== Acquisition by Elevate ===
On April 28, 2016, Elevate announced that they purchased Legal onRamp.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2016-04-28 |title=Elevate Services Acquires Legal OnRamp |url=https://elevateservices.com/news/elevate-acquires-legal-onramp/ |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=Elevate |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==Products and Services==
OnRamp Systems Inc. offers large-scale legal analysis, hosted systems and applications, and planning and consulting services.<ref name="LegalOnRampSolutions">{{Cite web |title=OnRamp Legal Intelligence Solutions |url=https://www.legalonramp.com/index.php/products-solutions |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402104948/https://www.legalonramp.com/index.php/products-solutions |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |access-date=2023-05-26}}</ref> Applications include Resolution Planning under the Dodd-Frank Act, contract analysis for revenue recognition, and other large-scale legal functions in compliance, vendor management, finance, contract system improvements, and transactional legal projects (e.g. mergers and acquisitions and bankruptcy).<ref name=FeldmanNortheastern/> These projects may combine scaled services, process consulting, and technology elements.<ref name=LegalOnRampSolutions/>
===MOLA===
OnRamp employs a “Massive Online Legal Analysis” (or “MOLA”) approach to legal projects.<ref name=LippeKatzJackson2014>[https://ssrn.com/abstract=2539315 Paul Lippe, Daniel Martin Katz, and Dan Jackson, "Legal by Design: A New Paradigm for Handling Complexity in Banking Regulation and Elsewhere in Law," ''Northeastern University School of Law Research Paper No.'' 215-2015 (December 16, 2014), https://ssrn.com/abstract=2539315 (accessed March 23, 2015).]</ref> The term “MOLA” refers to a methodology that systematizes legal tasks to allow limited expert resources to be applied to maximum legal work product.<ref name=LippeKatzJackson2014 /> It is characterized by large numbers of precisely defined “data points” being analyzed by a large, distributed team of attorneys working together through a server-based workflow platform.<ref name=LippeKatzJackson2014 /> MOLA systems are designed to allow data to be easily and independently verifiable, allowing quality to be monitored and corrected at scale.<ref>[https://www.legalonramp.com/index.php?option=com_easyblog&view=entry&id=62190 Michael P. Malloy, "An Analysis of the Legal OnRamp Process as a Method for Compliance with Resolution and Recovery Planning Requirements,"] April 15, 2014, LegalOnRamp.com{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
===OnRamp Exchange===
OnRamp exchange is a web-scale, hosted technology platform (SaaS) that can be deployed as a stand-alone application or in support of MOLA services.<ref name=onrampexchange>{{Cite web |url=https://www.legalonramp.com/index.php/products-solutions/entry/onramp-exchange-1 |title=Legal OnRamp, Solutions/OnRamp Exchange page|access-date=March 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402123119/https://www.legalonramp.com/index.php/products-solutions/entry/onramp-exchange-1 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It supports document management, collaboration features, productivity features, reporting, notifications and alerts, and permission controls.<ref name=onrampexchange/>
==Industry Collaborations==
===Riverview Law===
Riverview Law, a fixed-priced legal services business, provides Legal Advisory Outsourcing (LAO) services for OnRamp in the UK and partners with OnRamp Systems to provide services for global enterprises.<ref>[http://www.riverviewlaw.com/riverview-law-partners-with-us-tech-pioneer-legal-onramp-to-deliver-ground-breaking-services-to-global-banks/ "Riverview Law partners with US tech pioneer Legal OnRamp to deliver ground-breaking services to global banks," Riverview Law press release, January 6, 2014, on the Riverview Law website, http://www.riverviewlaw.com/riverview-law-partners-with-us-tech-pioneer-legal-onramp-to-deliver-ground-breaking-services-to-global-banks/ (accessed March 23, 2015).]</ref><ref name="Partners">{{Cite web |title=Partners |url=https://www.legalonramp.com/index.php/partners |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150317181557/https://www.legalonramp.com/index.php/partners |archive-date=March 17, 2015 |access-date=2023-05-26}}</ref> Specifically, Riverview and OnRamp have partnered on projects relating to the regulatory requirements of Dodd-Frank related Recovery and Resolution Plans (RRP).<ref>[http://www.managingpartner.com/news/business-development/riverview-law-and-legal-onramp-create-legal-design-service Manju Manglani, "Riverview Law and Legal OnRamp create 'legal-by-design' service," ''Managing Partner'', January 9, 2014, http://www.managingpartner.com/news/business-development/riverview-law-and-legal-onramp-create-legal-design-service (accessed March 23, 2015).]</ref>
===IBM Watson===
Legal OnRamp is one of the first Ecosystem partners in law, assisting large banking institutions in complying with Dodd-Frank’s mandate for RRPs.<ref>[http://www.adamsmithesq.com/2014/10/watson-i-presume/1/ Bruce MacEwen, "Watson, I Presume?," ''Adam Smith, Esq.'' Weblog, entry posted October 8, 2014, http://www.adamsmithesq.com (accessed March 23, 2015).]</ref> OnRamp's goal is purported to help harness Watson's cognitive computing capabilities much in the way Watson has assisted Memorial Sloan Kettering in using its capacity to assist doctors in patient treatment plans.<ref>[http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/10_predictions_about_how_ibms_watson_will_impact Paul Lippe and Daniel Martin Katz, "10 predictions about how IBM's Watson will impact the legal profession," ''The New Normal'' Weblog, entry posted October 2, 2014, http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/new_normal/ (accessed March 23, 2015).]</ref>
==Bridge to Practice== OnRamp’s model includes services, and some are supported by their "Bridge to Practice" for new lawyers.<ref name=FeldmanNortheastern/><ref name=Apprenticeramp/><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.legalonramp.com/index.php/bridge-to-practice |title=Legal OnRamp, Bridge to Practice page |access-date=March 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150317181557/https://www.legalonramp.com/index.php/bridge-to-practice |archive-date=March 17, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://www.bc.edu/schools/law/newsevents/2014/on_ramp.html "BC Law Partners on Innovative Apprenticeship Pilot Program with LegalOnRamp," Boston College Law press release, March 20, 2014, on the Boston College Law School website, http://www.bc.edu/schools/law/newsevents/2014/on_ramp.html (accessed March 23, 2015).]</ref> Partnering directly with law schools, OnRamp offers an alternative to traditional legal career development paths by using large-scale legal projects as a legal training ground.<ref name=Apprenticeramp/><ref>[http://abovethelaw.com/2014/05/from-across-the-desk-an-apprenticeship-to-practice-that-works/3/ Bruce MacEwen, "From Across the Desk: An Apprenticeship to Practice – That Works," May 15, 2014, Abovethelaw.com, http://abovethelaw.com/2014/05/from-across-the-desk-an-apprenticeship-to-practice-that-works/3/ (accessed March 23, 2015).]</ref><ref>[http://www.nationallawjournal.com/id=1202644115326/They're-Learning-the-Law-Through-Apprenticeships?slreturn=20141116093832 Karen Sloan, "They’re Learning the Law Through Apprenticeships," ''National Law Journal,'' February 24, 2014, http://www.nationallawjournal.com/id=1202644115326/They're-Learning-the-Law-Through-Apprenticeships?slreturn=20141116093832 (accessed March 23, 2015).]</ref>
Twelve law schools were originally part of the OnRamp partnership.<ref>[http://www.adamsmithesq.com/2014/04/an-apprenticeship-to-practice-that-works/3/ Bruce MacEwen, "An Apprenticeship to Practice – That Works," ''Adam Smith Esq.'', Weblog, entry posted April 27, 2014, http://www.adamsmithesq.com/ (accessed March 23, 2015).]</ref> Law schools with which OnRamp has partnered include:<ref name=Partners/>
::Boston College ::Boston University ::Emory University ::Georgetown University ::Harvard University ::Michigan State University ::New York University ::Northeastern University ::Northwestern University ::Ohio State University ::UC Hastings College of the Law ::University of Colorado ::University of Denver ::University of Southern California ::University of the Pacific ::Vanderbilt University
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== * [http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/whos_using_legal_onramp/ "A Partial List of Law Firms Participating in Legal OnRamp" ABAJournal.com (August 2007)]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Legal Onramp}} Category:American legal websites Category:American social networking websites