# Programming Languages and Law: A Research Agenda

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2206.14879 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2206.14879/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 29 Jun 2022.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Formally Verified Patent Analysis via Dependent Type Theory: Machine-Checkable Certificates from a Hybrid AI + Lean 4 Pipeline](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.18882/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

If code is law, then the language of law is a programming language. Lawyers and legal scholars can learn about law by studying programming-language theory, and programming-language tools can be usefully applied to legal problems. This article surveys the history of research on programming languages and law and presents ten promising avenues for future efforts. Its goals are to explain how the combination of programming languages and law is distinctive within the broader field of computer science and law, and to demonstrate with concrete examples the remarkable power of programming-language concepts in this new domain.