Event round-up: the future of law – AI-powered opportunities in legal tech

Last month, techUK brought together leading voices from the legal and technology sectors to explore how AI is transforming legal services. The event featured practical insights, real-world case studies, and frank discussions about both opportunities and challenges in AI adoption.

Opening remarks

Cinzia Miatto, Programme Manager for Justice and Emergency Services at techUK opened the event, welcoming attendees and setting the context for the afternoon's discussions on AI's role in transforming legal services.

Keynote: The Law Society's perspective on AI in legal services

Dr. Janis Wong, Data and Technology Law Policy Advisor, The Law Society

The keynote set the scene on AI opportunities in legal services, highlighting how AI is moving beyond automation to enable new forms of legal service delivery. The session emphasised the importance of maintaining professional standards and ethical considerations as the technology evolves.

Key themes included:

The shifting landscape of AI capabilities and expectations in legal practice
How regulatory frameworks are adapting to AI adoption
The importance of governance and preparedness at every level of the legal ecosystem

Presentation: LawtechUK's view on the current landscape

Aleksandra Wawrzyszczuk, Programme Director, LawtechUK

This presentation provided context on the current state of AI adoption in the legal sector, outlining how expectations, capabilities, and regulatory frameworks are shifting. A key message was that even AI companies themselves need the right AI tools and licences to operate effectively.

The presentation underscored that successful AI implementation requires understanding not just the technology, but the broader ecosystem of skills, governance, and support structures needed to deploy it responsibly.

Panel discussion: AI-powered opportunities and implementation in legal tech

Moderated by Usman Ikhlaq, Programme Manager - Artificial Intelligence, techUK

Panellists:

Amy McConnell, Partner, Future Law, TLT LLP
Harry Borovick, General Counsel, Luminance
Razi Hassan, Co-Founder and Director of Partnerships and Communication, Domestic Abuse Alliance

The panel brought together diverse perspectives from law firms, technology providers, and social impact organisations to explore the practical realities of AI adoption in legal services.

Understanding AI's impact on legal practice

The discussion explored how AI is already transforming legal work across different contexts. From large law firms adopting AI to boost productivity and transform workflows, to technology providers building and deploying AI-powered legal solutions, to organisations using AI to democratise access to legal advice for vulnerable populations.

A compelling example emerged around access to justice: AI is giving people who currently have no legal representation access to legal advice for the first time. While such advice isn't underpinned by indemnity insurance, the potential for fast, low-cost legal guidance to serve the most vulnerable in society represents a significant opportunity.

Key opportunities identified:

Democratisation of legal services: Making sophisticated legal capabilities accessible to smaller firms, in-house teams, and underserved communities
Enhanced efficiency: Freeing legal professionals to focus on high-value strategic work and client relationships
Access to justice: Using AI to reach populations that previously had no access to legal support
Specialised applications: Developing AI tools for niche practice areas and specific societal challenges

The culture challenge

A central theme emerged: AI adoption is not primarily a tooling problem, but a culture problem. Legal teams are asking fundamental questions:

Who's liable when AI makes mistakes?
How do we upskill teams effectively?
How do we trust AI outputs?

The panel agreed these are exactly the right questions to be asking. The most mature conversations aren't about buying AI, but about building confidence, building explainability, and building the skills to use insights properly.

Implementation challenges and practical considerations

The discussion moved beyond opportunities to address the real barriers to adoption:

Governance and frameworks: Establishing clear policies for responsible AI usage while maintaining professional conduct standards remains a critical challenge. Quality control for AI-generated outputs and managing client expectations require careful consideration.
Change management: Helping legal professionals adapt to AI-augmented working requires investment in training and cultural shift. This isn't just about technical skills, but about building confidence in new ways of working.
Integration challenges: Incorporating AI into existing workflows and systems without disrupting client service requires careful planning and implementation support.
Building versus buying: Understanding when to build internal capabilities versus relying on external providers depends on the specific needs and resources of each organisation.
Trust and transparency: Building trust requires demonstrating measurable value, ensuring explainability, and maintaining transparency about how AI tools are being used and what their limitations are.
Capability matters at every level: From individual practitioners to large firms to technology providers themselves, everyone needs the right tools, governance, and preparedness to deploy AI effectively.

Key takeaways

Several clear messages emerged from the event:

AI is here now: The legal profession is at an inflection point. AI is no longer a future consideration – it's reshaping how legal professionals work today.

Focus on outcomes, not technology: The emphasis should be on what AI enables – better access to justice, more efficient service delivery, and freeing professionals for high-value work – rather than the technology itself.

The questions are as important as the answers: Organisations asking about liability, upskilling, and trust are having the right conversations to build sustainable AI practices.

Collaboration is essential: Effective AI adoption requires legal professionals and tech providers to understand each other's needs and work together.

Culture and capability matter: Successful implementation requires addressing cultural change, building skills, and establishing governance frameworks – not just deploying new tools.

Next steps

After hosting our first LegalTech event, techUK is looking forward to building on the discussion with members and stakeholders to gain clearer insight into the key issues and opportunities in this space.
We recognise the importance of partnership between the legal and tech sectors, and this event offered a meaningful chance to unite both communities to discuss the potential and challenges of AI in legal technology.Keen to learn more about techUK's legal tech work? Or have a case study to share?

Please contact:

Usman Ikhlaq: [email protected]
Cinzia Miatto: [email protected]

Usman Ikhlaq

Programme Manager - Artificial Intelligence, techUK

Cinzia Miatto

Programme Manager - Justice & Emergency Services, techUK

techUK - Seizing the AI Opportunity

The UK is a global leader in AI innovation, development and adoption.

AI has the potential to boost UK GDP by £550 billion by 2035, making adoption an urgent economic priority. techUK and our members are committed to working with the Government to turn the AI Opportunities Action Plan into reality. Together we can ensure the UK seizes the opportunities presented by AI technology and continues to be a world leader in AI development.

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