Research One

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Research One — Origins

We conceived Research One during work on the "High Court Project" at the Australian National University's Law Faculty. The major outcome of that project was the Oxford Companion to the High Court of Australia, a pioneering reference work on the High Court.

Among its findings, the High Court Project revealed an interesting fact: legal practitioners and academic lawyers approach legal research and writing in vastly different ways.

When launching the Oxford Companion in 2002, the Chief Justice of Australia remarked:

"One thing that struck me is the gulf that exists between the view of legal institutions and of the Court from within the Universities, and the view from within the practising legal profession. This has often been remarked upon by recent graduates; but it was brought home to me most forcefully by comparing some of the entries in this book. I do not suggest that one point of view is more or less valid than the other. Each side has much to learn from the other. But I wonder if people on either side of the gulf realise how wide and deep it is. It suggests to me the need for some bridge-building."

The Chief Justice's comments settled the idea: working for lawyers over the Internet, Research One would help bridge the gulf by combining the analytical rigour, knowledge of research tools, and research experience of the law school academic, with an understanding of the time pressures, goals, work conditions, and emphasis on practical solutions of modern law firms.

The company's two founding directors incorporated Research One on 18 February 2002.