LMSS
March 10, 2026 ยท View on GitHub
SALI LMSS: Legal Matter Standard Specification
The file LMSS.owl is an XML file that represents SALI's primary taxonomy/ontology, providing over 18,000 tags.
IRI = Unique Identifier
Each SALI LMSS tag has its own unique identifier (IRI).
SALI API standard uses IRIs as identifiers
The identifiers in this LMSS.owl file are used in the SALI API standard, where stakeholders use those identifiers/IRIs to
- make API calls
- make API responses (i.e., provide API payloads)
...all in using SALI Standardized identifiers (IRIs)
SALI API
See https://github.com/sali-legal/api/blob/main/SALI_API.yml
STABILITY AND VERSIONING
This LMSS.owl file will be updated regularly.
- But please note that until a formal Release (e.g., Version 3.0, Version 4.0), the commits are still subject to public review.
- The
LMSS.owlwill become final upon its Release. - Even during the interim stages, changes to the IRIs will be unlikely.
- Rarely, IRIs may be deprecated -- and then, most likely be related to consolidation/de-duplication (e.g., during the Public Comment stage).
- SALI will strive to retain deprecated IRIs -- placing them in a folder labeled
DEPRECATED NODES.
- SALI will strive to retain deprecated IRIs -- placing them in a folder labeled
After a Release, nearly all of the IRIs will remain operative for decades (or forever). Future changes (if any) are likely to be only with properties:
- E.g., Labels (i.e.,
rdfs:label) -- a common English label - E.g., Synonyms (i.e.,
skos:altLabelandskos:prefLabel) -- such as alternative names (e.g.,Motion to DismissisDemurrerandMTD)skos:prefLabel= Second-most-common English synonymskos:altLabel= Synonyms, Translations
- E.g., Translations (i.e.,
skos:altlabel) with the world's most-common languages (e.g.,hi-in[India's Hindi],hi-il[Israel's Hebrew]) and country-specific spellings (e.g.,en-GB[British English],fr[French],fr-CA[Canadian French],pt-br[Brazilian Portuguese]) - E.g., Definitions (e.g.,
skos:definition) - E.g., Sources (e.g.,
rdfs:isDefinedBy,dc:source) - E.g., Edges/relationships (e.g.,
rdfs:seeAlso,sali:governedBy,sali:superseded,sali:observed) - E.g., Examples (i.e.,
skos:example) -- such as "statute superseded judicial opinion", "attorney observed deposition", County Attorney's Office - E.g., Multiple Parentage (e.g., additional
rdfs:subClassOfparents)
The identifiers/IRIs themselves will remain static and stable.
FORMAL RELEASES
After a comment period, LMSS will have ongoing formal Releases (e.g., LMSS 3.0 or LMSS 4.0). Until the Release, main remains unfinalized, but the IRIs will remain relatively stable.