معرفی
Staci Pratt serves as Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Colorado Law School, concurrently holding leadership roles as Head of Student Services and Outreach and Director of the CU Law A2J Innovation Lab. Her experiential teaching focuses on developing legal technology applications to enhance access to justice, with students creating tools for state and family court systems under her guidance. As a Colorado Access to Justice Commission technology committee member, she integrates statewide policy efforts into student projects, fostering collaboration between academia, practitioners, and communities to address legal service gaps.
Her academic credentials include:
- Juris Doctorate from Boston College Law School (Order of the Coif)
- LLM in International Law from King's College, University of London
- Bachelor of Arts in History from Dartmouth College (Phi Beta Kappa)
- Master of Social Work
- Master of Information Science
Professor Pratt's research examines technology-driven solutions for underserved populations, particularly in domestic violence intervention through platforms like the Kansas Protection Order Portal. Her work bridges legal education with social work principles to create holistic support systems, while exploring how artificial intelligence and user-centered design can dismantle barriers in court access. This interdisciplinary approach reflects her dual expertise in law and information science.
Scholarly output reveals an evolution from foundational agricultural/environmental law publications (1990s-2000s on watershed management and livestock regulation) to contemporary legal technology innovations. Current research emphasizes digital tool development for self-represented litigants, with recent works analyzing academic law libraries' role in access-to-justice initiatives and law student publication processes.
Her professional recognition includes:
- AALL Excellence in Community Engagement Award (2020) for UMKC School of Law's Self-Help Clinic
Professor Pratt has mentored law students through clinical programs and innovation labs, supervising practical work on limited-scope representation and legal application development. While specific grant details aren't publicized, her Kansas Protection Order Portal project demonstrates successful cross-institutional funding collaboration during the pandemic. Her early career included Colorado Supreme Court clerkship and ACLU of Nevada leadership in civil rights litigation.
The A2J Innovation Lab operates as her primary research hub, partnering with state courts and legal aid organizations to prototype and evaluate tools that streamline court processes. Current initiatives focus on adapting legal technology for rural communities and trauma-informed design principles in domestic violence applications, positioning the lab at the forefront of justice innovation.
