The Document Assembly Line, created by the Legal Innovation and Technology Lab (LIT Lab) at Suffolk University Law School, helps individuals build open-source access-to-justice tools and resources for court forms, online guided interviews, and e-filing. It provides affordable Docassemble hosting and e-filing tools for courts and legal aid organizations. The LIT Lab has also created free and open-source software for building and e-filing court forms, supported by an active community of courts, legal aid organizations, and volunteers such as:
- AssemblyLine tools – Docassemble software extensions for building guided interviews, including the Weaver, a library of translated questions, and other tools.
- E-filing software – E-filing proxy server, integrations for court e-filing systems, and LITEfile, a general-purpose e-filing tool for self-represented litigants.
- Community support – Meetings, workshops, an online support forum, training, documentation, and other resources.
- Docassemble hosting – Affordable hosting with the AssemblyLine tools, configured for the needs (and budgets) of courts and legal aid organizations.
- EFSP with e-filing tools – E-filing service provider (EFSP) access, LITEfile, and custom integrations for court e-filing systems.
In May 2025, an eviction sealing law went into effect in Massachusetts. Suffolk LIT Clinic students, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Trial Court, built an online guided interview tool. The tool makes it easy to complete a petition to seal an eviction and e-file it with the court. During the first week, more than 300 people completed the petition using the new guided interview. Learn more: https://suffolklitlab.org/eviction-sealing-tool-launched-with-massachusetts-trial-court/
“A well-designed form allows people to express themselves in a way the court can understand.”
—David Colarusso, Suffolk LIT Lab Co-Director