The free exchange of ideas and information is the lifeblood of healthy societies and vibrant markets. As Jefferson framed it:

If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea, which an individual may exclusively possess as long as he keeps it to himself; but the moment it is divulged, it forces itself into the possession of every one, and the receiver cannot dispossess himself of it. Its peculiar character, too, is that no one possesses the less, because every other possesses the whole of it. He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.

We want to take that principle a step further, and apply it to our new enterprise, LexPublica. We’ll share openly what is often considered confidential: our vision, our ideas, our plans, our thinking on key decisions and our experience. By doing this, we want to engage others in our work, we want others to learn from our experience, and we want to benefit from input and feedback.