The Legal Practice Hub
  1. Advocacy Group
  2. Alternative Dispute Resolution Group
  3. Civil Litigation Group
  4. Criminal Litigation and Sentencing Group
  5. Evidence and Proof Group
  6. Legal Education Group
  7. Legal Ethics Group
  8. Legal Technology Group
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The Legal Practice Hub

Legal Technology Group

Our aim is to engage with the rapidly increasing relevance of technology to law, in particular as regards the development of legal practice. Through investigation, scholarship and research, we are seeking to identify what those teaching law should be aware of to ensure their teaching is up-to-date, and also what knowledge and experience in this area students should have to support their learning and their employability. In doing this, we are looking to develop relationships with legal professionals and academics with interests in this area.

The use of technology in legal practice has been growing for some years, initially in relation to areas such as legal research, document storage and access, and electronic disclosure and inspection. Then came software for document analysis, online portals, online filing of court documents, online bundles for hearings, and online hearings. We are now at the stage where online courts are being developed, and an Online Procedure Rules Committee has been set up. There is talk of civil justice potentially being delivered wholly online through a system that incorporates litigation and ADR as options for dispute resolution.

There are many potential benefits in terms of efficient and timely access to justice, but also many issues in terms of regulation, the roles that artificial intelligence and software can properly play, and the changing roles of lawyers in a digital society. In a fractured world, it is very important that the benefits that technology can offer are harnessed to help to resolve disputes, but also that developments are viewed with critical eyes to ensure that justice is served, and that those learning to be lawyers are properly informed about the role of technology alongside legal principles.

Susan BlakeSubject group lead: Professor Susan Blake

Other staff:

David Amos

Jenny Knox

Danon Pritchard

Useful Resources:

European Legal Tech Association

Law Society Lawtech

Society for Computers and the Law

UK Legal Technology Association