Introducing FOLIO: Our Evolution from SOLI to the Federated Open Legal Information Ontology

We’re excited to announce a significant evolution in our journey to create open standards for legal information. Today, we’re officially rebranding from SOLI (Standard for Open Legal Information) to FOLIO (Federated Open Legal Information Ontology).

Why We’re Rebranding

Since launching SOLI, we’ve received valuable feedback from legal professionals, technologists, and organizations worldwide. A consistent theme emerged: the need for a more flexible, adaptable approach that allows different legal systems and jurisdictions to collaborate while maintaining their unique requirements.

The term “Standard” in our original name suggested a single, monolithic approach. In contrast, our new name—FOLIO—better reflects our vision for a federated ecosystem of compatible standards that can interoperate while respecting differences across legal systems.

What “Federated” Means for Our Future

The “Federated” in FOLIO represents our commitment to:

• Modular Design: Rather than one comprehensive standard, FOLIO will consist of interconnected modules that communities can adopt individually or as a suite.
• Local Adaptation: Jurisdictions can implement modules in ways that respect their legal traditions while maintaining interoperability.
• Distributed Governance: Different stakeholder groups can steward specific modules relevant to their expertise.
• Progressive Adoption: Organizations can implement FOLIO incrementally, starting with modules that deliver the most immediate value.

Your Input Shaped This Direction

This shift directly responds to what we heard from you. During our town halls, forums, and direct conversations, you told us that flexibility and adaptability were crucial for global adoption. You emphasized the importance of acknowledging the diversity of legal systems worldwide and creating standards that unify without homogenizing.

What This Means for Current Users

For those already using SOLI resources:

• All existing APIs and tools will continue to function
• Documentation will transition gradually to the FOLIO naming
• The core technology remains stable, with improvements planned for modularization

Join Us on This Journey

The FOLIO approach represents not just a name change but a philosophical evolution in how we approach open legal information standards. We believe this federated model will lead to broader adoption, more robust implementations, and ultimately, better access to legal information for everyone.

We invite you to join us as we build FOLIO together. In the coming weeks, we’ll share our updated roadmap highlighting our modular approach and opportunities for community contribution.

Stay tuned for more information about FOLIO and how you can participate in shaping the future of open legal information standards.