Technology is transforming the practice of law. Future lawyers will collaborate with data scientists; systems architects and software engineers in translating legal and social challenges into algorithmic processes. Indeed this transformation is already taking place, for instance in smart contracting; electronic discovery and other interfaces between technology and law.
What it means to be a legal professional is being transformed and familiarity with computational thinking and an awareness of data management etc, are now direct challenges for future legal practitioners as opposed to being outside the remit of legal practice.
As these technological changes emerge, they are matched by organisational shifts, where legal careers take place outside traditional law firms. Careers are pursued increasingly in policy and legal offices within larger organisations; or in ‘back office’ service providers where technological and commercial awareness is at a premium. Indeed Belfast has emerged at the forefront of these combined organisational and technological changes. The legal services industry and others are increasingly interested in law graduates who are familiar with and aware of technology and commerce beyond the traditional parameters of legal education. They are interested in graduates who are comfortable with decision-making and risk-assessment and who are primarily ready for legal practice in a commercial – and increasingly computational – environment.
The Global Skills TechLab is designed to provide a platform for students to explore these emerging technological realities surrounding the practice of law. It will provide a soft introduction to coding concepts and processes that you will encounter as you enter the world of work or further study. It will help you explore the synergies between coding and law and enhance your problems solving skills, your understanding and your ability to think around the processing and use of data to predict and make decisions as well as the moral, legal and ethical issues that arise from the application of computational technologies.
