Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are starting to alter the way in which consumers shop for and purchase goods and services. This exploratory article examines some of the implications the increasing use of AI technologies may have to the law of trade mark infringement under New Zealand’s Trade Marks Act 2002. Trade mark infringement is…
Information technology and the future of legal education: A provocation
This short paper explores, albeit in a preliminary fashion, challenges to legal education arising from the significant impact of new information and communications technologies (ICTs) on law and legal practice. It uses the pervasiveness of ICTs to reframe the question of “law and technology” from a philosophical perspective that sees information technology as an “environmental…
Qualitative research into SMEs’ legal needs and adoption of Lawtech
On behalf of LawtechUK and the Legal Services Board, Community Research conducted qualitative research with 40 SMEs from different sectors (10 of whom had previously used lawtech) to explore how they address their legal needs and access legal advice and support, in order to understand how lawtech can better support SMEs. Read the full paper…
Further fund award is an opportunity to connect innovative services with those who need legal help
The SRA have won a grant from the latest round of Regulators Pioneer Fund (RPF) to help connect those using new legal technologies with those who need their services. They have been awarded £167,856 from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to be used to create a new network where regulators, expert…
Law Society of Saskatchewan releases new podcast on the future of law and technology
The Law Society of Saskatchewan has released a new podcast on the changing role of technology in the legal profession. The podcast looks at how technology is being treated in legal education, as well as what the society is doing to react to the changes/ The podcast features Tim Brown, Q.C. Executive Director of the…
The Intersection of Technology Competence and Professional Responsibility: Opportunities and Obligations for Legal Education
Abstract Technology has fundamentally changed the legal profession and the delivery of legal services. Lawyers routinely use technology, including artificial intelligence, for legal research, e-discovery, document review, practice management, timekeeping and billing, document drafting, and many other tasks. The American Bar Association (ABA) amended the Model Rules of Professional Conduct in 2012 to include an explicit duty of technology competence, and…
Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales publishes results of study into innovation in the legal sector
The Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales (SRA) has published the results of its independent study into innovation in the legal sector, commissioned in March. The study was carried out on behalf of the SRA by a research team at the University of Oxford which included Professors Mari Sako and John Armour. The study…
Lawyer Ethics for Innovation
Abstract Law struggles to keep pace with innovation. Twenty-first century advancements like artificial intelligence, block chain, and data analytics are already in use by academic institutions, corporations, government entities, health care providers, and others but many questions remain about individual autonomy, identity, privacy, and security. Even as new laws address known threats, future technology developments…
Legal Services Board of England and Wales releases new report on how regulation can foster innovation
On the 20th of April, the Legal Services Board (LSB) released a report outlining what legal services can do to support the safe development of technology and innovation, whilst also acting in the public interest. The report outlines steps regulators can take to create an environment that ‘de-risks’ innovation and reduces uncertainty for tech providers…
New research project on innovation and the use of technology in the legal sector in England and Wales launched by the Solicitors Regulation Authority
The Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales (SRA) is launching a piece of independent research into the use of technology and innovation in the legal sector, and how this may develop in the future. The research is being carried out by a research team at the University of Oxford including Professors Mari Sako and…