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Landmark legal tech conference this spring

A landmark legal conference will be hosted by the University of Galway School of Law this spring.

The ‘Legal Tech Ireland: Impacts, Policies, and Pathways’ conference will bring together legal experts, policymakers, and industry leaders to examine the transformative role of technology in the legal sector.

Emerging tech

The adoption of emerging technologies must be informed by ethical, regulatory and moral considerations, the organisers said.

It takes place on Monday, 7 April, from 10am to 5pm at the Deloitte BizHub, Cairnes Building, University of Galway.

The event will also be available online to those who register in advance.

The event is co-organised by TUS Athlone Faculty of Business and Hospitality and will build on the success of last year’s, Legal Technology & the Rule of Law 2024 in Athlone.

This year, the focus will be on the all-island lawtech sector, enabling and limiting policy and regulatory factors, and the influence of post-pandemic shifts.

This unique event will bring together legal academics, practitioners, students and the public for creative exchange and dialogue on the legal, regulatory and ethical challenges.

Solutions

Expert speakers from industry, the judiciary and academia will propose solutions to these challenges.

A particular focus will be on the different trajectories of legal technology adoption in Ireland and the North in a post-Brexit, post-pandemic shared island. The conference will also feature a hackathon during which student teams will be asked to problem-solve legal tech challenges by applying creative and technical know-how under time constraints .

Email ronan.m.kennedy@universityofgalway.ie for information on how to participate.

University of Galway has issued a ‘Call for Papers’ for legal professionals, academics, and researchers interested in contributing to the conference.

Submissions are encouraged on topics including, but not limited to:

• Developments in legal practice,
• Technology and justice,
• Regulation through technology,
• Missed connections,
• Lawtech in Ireland and the North,
• Enabling and restricting conditions in the lawtech landscape for innovation and early adoption, in the Republic and the North,
• Regulatory Intersections and AI for law,
• Other aspects of legal technology in practice and in the courts.

Event organiser Dr Rónán Kennedy (University of Galway School of Law) said: “Technology is reshaping how legal services are delivered, creating new opportunities but also presenting significant challenges.

“This conference will bring together key stakeholders to discuss how Ireland can best navigate the evolving landscape of legal tech.”

Crucial juncture

Co-organiser Alison Hough BL, of TUS Athlone, said: "This event happens at a crucial juncture for the legal profession, legal entrepreneurs and the academy.

“It has never been more important that legal practice adoption of emerging technologies is informed by ethical, regulatory and moral considerations which emerge from the academy, and that the work of academics reflects the concerns arising on the ground in legal practice and legal entrepreneurship.

“This conference creates a unique and timely public forum for creative exchange,” she said.

The event is expected to attract a wide range of participants, including lawyers, policymakers, academics, and technology experts.

Paper and panel proposals can be emailed to ronan.m.kennedy@universityofgalway.ie

Registration is now open at https://www.universityofgalway.ie/business-public-policy-law/school-of-law/news/legaltechirelandconference2025/