An updated and expanded version of the popular Lawtech Fundamentals programme (originally released in July 2023) has launched with more advice from successful lawtech founders and two new modules on Funding a Lawtech Startup and The Lawtech Landscape, in particular around Unmet Legal Need and AI. Lawtech Fundamentals is free and is one of five programmes delivered by LawtechUK, the Ministry of Justice-backed initiative, which aims to spearhead the digital transformation of the legal sector in the UK.
Aspiring entrepreneurs and legal tech enthusiasts are invited to join this updated programme, a continuous and transformative learning experience, conducted online through a series of seven modules, allowing participants to complete it at their own pace. It has been designed to appeal to various audiences from those starting up their own lawtech company needing specific advice, to others who want to broaden their knowledge of the lawtech sector to keep their careers on track.
Lawtech Fundamentals covers critical aspects such as ideation, skill acquisition, teamwork, and building a thriving culture in a startup. Its role is to empower individuals at any stage of their lawtech startup journey, offering insights and resources to help companies make their mark in the dynamic world of legal technology.
Ross McNairn, CEO of Wordsmith AI, which in June 2024 announced it had successfully raised $5 million (around £3.94m) funding is delighted to be one of the lawtech founders contributing to the Fundamentals Programme. McNairn says “Now is a great time to lean into lawtech: there is an incredible appetite in the legal profession. Lawyers are now really open to engaging with AI technology which represents the single most significant shift for the legal industry in decades and will completely change the way lawyers will work five years from now. But with this huge growth potential comes many challenges including finding the right product market fit, discovering how to differentiate and when to collaborate. Which is where LawtechUK’s Fundamentals Programme comes in – an extremely useful tool to anyone thinking about starting, joining or working with a lawtech company.”
LawtechUK Panel members Maya Markovich and Katie Atkinson have provided the new module content via guest-authored lessons on ‘Lawtech innovations to address unmet legal need’ and ‘Using AI to solve legal challenges’ respectively.
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- AI has featured prominently in LawtechUK events in the last year. Katie Atkinson explains some of the reasons for this growth and focus, while also suggesting some unsolved AI challenges and thoughts on AI’s future in lawtech. Atkinson explains “AI technologies are now, for the first time, at the stage of being able to be deployed on a range of real-world tasks. There are opportunities a plenty for use in supporting legal work, but there are also multiple technical challenges that remain to be solved for applicability to a wide range of specialist tasks, and in a manner that engenders stakeholders’ trust in the technologies. This Fundamentals Lesson unpacks the journey of AI from research to deployment today in the legal field and what the trajectory is for the next stage of development of these technologies, highlighting opportunities for innovators in lawtech to grasp.”
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- In innovating to address unmet legal need, Maya Markovich highlights the overwhelming need for solutions to the justice gap, the opportunity for technology to rapidly scale impact and build ROI, and potential use cases. Markovich says “Building ethical technology tools to address unmet legal need is impactful, rewarding, and necessary. The ‘justice tech’ sector, focused on impact-driven direct to consumer solutions to enable increased access to justice, is an exciting area in which to innovate with a powerful ecosystem of its own, and is rapidly growing to meet unmet legal need globally. The module is a launchpad to learn more and inspire entrepreneurs to build solutions that improve interactions with the justice system and level the playing field.”
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Lawtech Fundamentals saw strong uptake from law students and a very high engagement from those already working in legal services, including some in innovation departments. Many were keen to understand how best to work with lawtechs and use a shared language. Other attendees explained they were interested in founding or working in a lawtech. Feedback from previous participants includes comments such as:
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- It was a really good introduction to the way in which the law sector in general thinks about technology and its approach to this.
- It’s a useful course to get me thinking a bit more like an entrepreneur and a bit less like a lawyer.
- It’s useful to get outside influence from the course, getting a different perspective is really good.
- It’s given me a better understanding of what founders are thinking and what they go through.
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By joining this programme, participants gain a comprehensive understanding of key areas, including:
The UK’s Lawtech Landscape: Explore the vibrant and evolving landscape of lawtech in the United Kingdom, gaining insights into opportunities and challenges within the sector.
Startup Creation and Growth: Learn the ins and outs of establishing a lawtech startup, discover strategies for sustainable growth, and understand the common pitfalls to avoid along the way.
Support Ecosystem: Get acquainted with the extensive support network available for turning a lawtech idea into a reality, including access to invaluable resources and mentorship.
One of the programme’s highlights is its accessibility. Participants receive exclusive access to a wealth of resources from the Lawtech Fundamentals free online course, including engaging content, video interviews featuring accomplished lawtech founders, and thought-provoking reflective exercises to test their knowledge.
Lawtech Fundamentals is ideal for individuals who are:
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- Legal Professionals and Students: Those studying or working in the legal field with a keen interest in tech startups and their growth potential.
- Aspiring Entrepreneurs: Individuals with a brilliant idea for a lawtech startup but are uncertain about how to transform it into reality.
- Tech Enthusiasts: Those who are not familiar with the lawtech landscape but are eager to explore how their innovative ideas can contribute to this field.
- Legal Sector Enthusiasts: Individuals intrigued by the prospect of collaborating with or working for the legal sector, particularly in innovation and technology.
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Don’t miss this opportunity to supercharge your lawtech startup journey. Enrol in the Lawtech Fundamentals programme today by visiting https://lawtechuk.io/programmes/fundamentals/.
