Simon Boehme ’14
Simon Boehme ’14 works at the intersection of dispute resolution and legal innovation. Currently the vice president of partnerships for Legaler, and president of Legaler Aid, he previously served on the State Bar of California’s Access Through Innovation of Legal Services Task Force. As an entrepreneur, Boehme founded Magnify, a contract company summarizing terms and conditions of popular websites, and co-founded Disputly, formerly LegalWin.
He advises multiple legal tech companies and the Legal Tech Fund, and has served as a member of the Accord Project Dispute Resolution Working Group, building guidelines and open source code for legal contracts.
A Truman Scholar, Coca-Cola Scholar and Bezos Scholar, Boehme was appointed by the Obama Administration to serve on the U.S. Department of Education's National Advisory Committee for Institutional Quality and Integrity from 2013 to 2019.
As a mediator, he led efforts to build the first San Francisco online dispute resolution system for landlord-tenant disputes.
1) How did ILR change you?
ILR reinforced my deep passion for conflict resolution, and ultimately, led to how disputes created offline could be resolved online. ILR taught me critical skills on where and how disputes are created, along with mechanisms to resolve them. ILR laid the groundwork for my current online dispute resolution endeavors.
2) How are you making an impact through your experiences at ILR?
I'm currently the vice president of Legaler and president of Legaler Aid. I've also created two legal tech companies that focus on dispute resolution mechanisms for consumers and businesses. Additionally, I advise other startups that focus on online dispute resolution and access to justice. As a mediator, I've worked to keep vulnerable people housed in San Francisco. I also train lawyers and judges on how to virtually mediate and arbitrate online, along with serving as a technical expert for numerous multi-billion dollar commercial disputes. ILR is foundational to what I do everyday.
3) How might the mission of ILR help shape the next 75 years of work, labor and employment?
In our new world shaped by COVID-19, ILR has the opportunity to create leading research and programs to prepare us for working effectively and collaboratively online, providing insights on how technology creates new problems and how to resolve these new disputes, and building a more equitable future for every employee.