As you can see, the /help/on-topic page isn't filled in yet.
The /help/on-topic page has now been updated with the below text.
We've been up and running long enough that we've developed a sense of questions that are, and aren't on-topic for the site.
Here are some of the key discussions and points that have been made:
Dealing with lawyers should be on topic
Should questions asking about dealing with lawyers (but not about the law itself) be on-topic?Hypotheticals should be on-topic
Are hypothetical application of the law questions on topic?
Are hypotheticals on topic?Historical legal questions should be on-topic
Do we want to allow historical legal questions?Questions about quasi-judicial bodies should be on-topic
Quasi-judicial bodies on topic?Questions that ask for legal advice should be off-topic, at least as too localised.
What is our stance on questions that are very clearly legal advice?
What is our stance on questions that are very clearly legal advice? a comment on an answer, suggesting how one can make a specific question general.
With all of that in mind, here's what we're proposing for our on-topic page
This is now live on the page:
Law Stack Exchange is for legal professionals, students, and others with experience or interest in law.
The best questions are those that have specific answers; Law Stack Exchange is not a general discussion forum. In general, ask here if you have a question which covers:
- Statutes or court decisions
- Legal terms and language, doctrines and theory
- Legal process and procedure
- Historical legal applications
- Dealing with legal professionals
Please don't ask questions seeking legal advice on a specific matter. These are off-topic for Law Stack Exchange. While users generally contribute answers in good faith, the answers are not legal advice, and contributors here are not your lawyer.
Please look around to see if your question has been asked before. It’s also OK to ask and answer your own question.
If your question is not specifically on-topic for Law Stack Exchange, it may be on topic for another Stack Exchange site. If no site currently exists that will accept your question, you may commit to or propose a new site at Area51, the place where new Stack Exchange communities are democratically created.
For more help, see "What types of questions should I avoid asking?"
What should be different? What should be in there, but isn't? What shouldn't be in there, but is?
We can modify this later through discussion and consensus, if we feel that things should/shouldn't be on-topic.
Please also note that, if we adopt this as our on-topic page, we will add a corresponding custom off-topic reason, to reflect the fact that legal advice questions are off-topic. The wording will likely be:
Questions that ask for specific legal advice are off topic. See [this meta post].
This off-topic close reason is now live
We'll update a meta post with guidelines on rewriting a specific legal advice question and turning it into a general information question.
Important: If there's no slew of criticism on this post, then we will interpret this as assent. Despite Warnock's Dilemma, there's no way for us to force everyone to contribute to, and vote on, this proposal.
If you disagree with any part of this, please post a comment (or an answer, if your disagreement is lengthy/substantial. We want to discuss any issues about this, and this is your chance to help shape the direction the site will take. You can also ping any of the mods in chat and we will be happy to discuss it there.