The ANU College of Law will host an interdisciplinary workshop on the future of legal services, on June 14th and 15th 2024. This in-person event will explore the future of the legal services amidst sweeping societal and technological transformations.

In an era defined by ground-breaking technological advancements, including artificial intelligence and data analytics, the very fabric of legal services is undergoing a profound change. Simultaneously, as the demographics of legal professionals undergo a shift, with a surge of younger and more diverse talents entering the arena, firms must respond swiftly to foster an inclusive culture. Both technological and demographic changes extend beyond mere adaptation; it is an opportunity to cultivate environments that optimize both efficiency and the well-being of legal practitioners.

This event will host scholars, practitioners, and policymakers at the forefront of legal innovation. Through vibrant discourse and interdisciplinary exchange, we will explore the pathways leading to the exciting future of legal services.

Abstracts can be sent to Akshaya Kamalnath (Akshaya.Kamalnath@anu.edu.au) and Alvin Hung (hoi-chun.hung@anu.edu.au) with the subject line ‘Abstract – The future of legal services’ by March 15th 2024. Draft papers will be due by June 1st. Early career scholars and PhD students are welcome.

To find out more about the workshop program, click here.

About the Speakers:

Seth Lazar is Professor of Philosophy at the Australian National University, an Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellow, a Distinguished Research Fellow of the University of Oxford Institute for Ethics in AI, and a member of the Executive Committee of the ACM Fairness, Accountability and Transparency Conference. He has worked and published widely on the ethics of war, risk, and AI, and now leads the Machine Intelligence and Normative Theory (MINT) Lab, where he leads research projects in normative philosophy of computing, funded by the ARC, the Templeton World Charity Foundation, Insurance Australia Group, and Schmidt Futures.

Julian Webb is a Professor at Melbourne Law School. He teaches in the areas of legal ethics, civil procedure, and regulatory theory. He previously held chairs at the Universities of Warwick and Westminster in the UK. He has been an honorary or visiting professor at the University of Exeter, University College, London, the Southampton Institute, and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in the USA, and a visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London. Julian’s research focuses particularly on technological and regulatory disruption in the law and legal services, as well as issues of ethical theory and practice in the legal profession.

Temitope Lawal is a current PhD candidate at Bond University Faculty of Law. His research probes into the interplay between technology and regulation in a cross-border context. Prior to commencing his PhD studies, Temitope was a Legal and Regulatory Manager in the Nigerian Communications Commission, the independent regulator for communications services in Nigeria, where he was involved in policy formulation for telecommunications regulation and internet governance. He has over 10 years of post-qualification experience as a lawyer in Nigeria and holds an LL.M degree in Computer and Communications Law from Queen Mary, University of London.

Michael Legg is a Professor in the Faculty of Law, UNSW and Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law. He specialises in complex litigation, including regulatory litigation and class actions, and in innovation in the legal profession. He is the author of Case Management and Complex Civil Litigation (Federation Press, 2nd ed 2022) and Public and Private Enforcement of Securities Law (Hart, 2022). He is the co-author of Corporate Misconduct and White-Collar Crime (Thomson Reuters, 2022), Artificial Intelligence and the Legal Profession (Hart, 2020), Civil Procedure in New South Wales (Thomson Reuters, 4th ed 2020), Annotated Class Actions Legislation (LexisNexis, 2d ed 2018).

Tony Song is an Adjunct Fellow for the Centre for the Future of the Legal Profession at UNSW Law & Justice. Tony’s research interest covers the impact of technology on the legal profession and society, with a focus on artificial intelligence, remote courts, drones, cyber and crypto. Tony is most passionate about the intersection between law and crypto. As an active crypto day-trader, he brings a unique perspective to discussions around law, regulation and policy. Tony’s research spans digital money, stablecoins, smart contracts, DeFi, NFTs, DAOs, tokenization of RWAs, and meme culture.

Felicity Bell is a Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director of the Centre for the Future of the Legal Profession at UNSW Law and Justice. Felicity has a Bachelor of Laws (Hons I) from the University of Melbourne and a PhD from the University of Sydney. Previously, she was a Senior Research Fellow for the Future of Law and Innovation in the Profession (FLIP) research stream at UNSW Law and Justice, and a Lecturer at the University of Wollongong. Felicity is internationally recognised as an expert in family law and legal professionalism; and in new technologies and their impact on lawyers’ practice and regulation. Her research combines her expertise across these areas often with a basis in empirical projects.

Brydon Wang is an author, lawyer and scholar researching at the confluence of law, technology and design governance of the city. He is the Academic Lead of Engagement for QUT School of Law. Brydon is passionate about how we can increase trustworthiness in decision-making around the design and deployment of technology in our cities. He focuses on benevolent data structures and how our cities can be made smarter and more resilient to climate change. Brydon is dually qualified in law and architecture and practised as a technology and construction lawyer with global top-tier law firm Allens Linklaters. He also has a previous career in architecture and contract administration on award-winning construction projects, with twenty years in the construction industry.

Ben Chen is a Senior Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer at University of Sydney. He is a law and economics scholar writing in the areas of equity and trusts, civil procedure, succession law, and game theory. His publications include full-length original articles in Cornell Law Review, Economic Theory, Melbourne University Law Review, and Modern Law Review. His sole-authored, practitioner-oriented articles have been cited extra-judicially by judges of the New South Wales and Queensland Courts of Appeal. The Australian Research Council has awarded him a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) and a Discovery Project (DP) grant.

Richard Wu is Associate Professor at Faculty of Law, University of Hong Kong and Adjunct Professor of Peking University School of Transnational Law, China and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University School of Law, Taiwan. He is also Visiting Professor Tsinghua University Law School; Visiting Scholar of Peking University Law School and Melbourne Law School; Visiting Academic Faculty of Law, University College London. Richard teaches “Innovations, Creativity and Ethics for Globalized Legal Practice” and “Law and Social Administration” at undergraduate level, as well as “China Practice” and “Property Transactions” at postgraduate level. Richard has developed research leadership in the fields of comparative legal education and legal professionalism, focusing on Greater China and Asian countries.

Angus Young is Senior Lecturer at Faculty of Law, University of Hong Kong and has taught at several universities in Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand. In addition, was an Adjunct Professor at one of Mainland’s top law schools. Concurrently, he is Research Fellow, Centre for Corporate Governance and Financial Policy, Hong Kong Baptist University; Distinguished Research Fellow at the German-Sino Institute of Legal Studies, Nanjing University; Institutional Markets Industry Council Member at FINSIA; National Advisory Council Member and Education Officer of Hong Kong of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment; Technical Consultation Panel of the Hong Kong Chartered Governance Institute, and Publication Sub-committee Member of the Hong Kong Institute of Bankers. His research and teaching interests are in governance, risk and compliance as well as financial regulations and crimes.

Sebastian Ko is a lawtech and regtech expert. He was formerly senior legal counsel and Asia regional head of e-discovery review at a global leading legal technology solutions company. Previously, he practised financial regulatory law and commercial dispute resolution in international firms. He is a community organiser of lawtech and techlaw events, including the first Access to Justice Hackathon in Asia. He is a member of the InnoTech Committee of the Law Society of Hong Kong. He holds degrees in science and law, including the Bachelor of Civil Law (Oxon), and is legally qualified in Hong Kong, New York and at the U.S.

Guzyal Hill is Associate Professor at Charles Darwin University. She serves as a Deputy Chair of the Academic Board and Deputy Chair of the Academic Programs Committee. In the past, Guzyal was a founding coordinator of the Indigenous Pre-Accounting Enabling Program and coordinator of the Indigenous Pre-Law Enabling Program (2021). Guzyal researches and publishes in the areas of national uniform legislation, harmonisation in the federation, federalism and ‘law as data methods’ in the context of legislation. Guzyal brings a unique perspective as a researcher and legislative drafter of national uniform legislation.