“We are explorers. We are doers. We are Legal Hackers.”
This expression formed the foundation of Legal Hackers, a global movement of lawyers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, technologists, and academics, who explore and develop creative solutions to some of the most pressing issues at the intersection of law and technology.
Through local meet-ups, hackathons, speakers, and workshops, Legal Hackers seeks to spot issues and opportunities where technology can improve and inform the practice of law and access to legal services.
Currently, there are 98 Legal Hackers chapters worldwide. Of the 32 chapters across North America, five are across Canada, and three are in Ontario – the London, Ontario chapter being one of them.
Since officially launching less than one year ago, Legal Hackers London has established a base of 150 members and has brought together over 200 people across its three meetups so far. })
“It’s exciting to see how quickly the London chapter has grown already, and I only expect this to continue as more people discover it,” said Chris Bentley, co-founder of Legal Hackers London and Managing Director of the Legal Innovation Zone and Law Practice Program at Ryerson University.
“This global movement is helping to put legal innovations on the map, many of which are happening right here in London.”
How it all started
The London Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) worked with co-founders of the London chapter – Ryerson University’s Chris Bentley and Blockchain Canada’s Amy ter Haar – to launch the London chapter of Legal Hackers, with the goal of bringing together London’s growing technology, entrepreneurship, and legal sectors. Legal Hackers London has since gained a local, seven-person organizing committee to help build on the chapter’s early successes.})
Photo taken by Snapd London.
Leading banking, finance, legal, and insurance companies have established London as a centre for commerce, with over 55,000 people employed. From long-standing companies to newer boutique ventures, the professional services sector is increasingly fuelled by leading-edge technologies, innovative new products, and dynamic teams here in London.
“Future opportunities are endless. There is plenty of room for development and collaboration in our city, particularly in the legal-tech space,” said Emilie Maxwell, a lawyer with Siskinds LLP and member of Legal Hackers London organizing committee.
That’s what Legal Hackers London is all about – bringing together like-minded people to discuss new ideas and develop new solutions that better meet consumer and societal legal needs.
“It’s exciting to see the private sector stepping up to lead these good ideas, and we’re happy to help get these initiatives off the ground and provide ongoing support,” said Kapil Lakhotia, President and CEO of the LEDC.
“With the evolution of London’s professional services sector focussing more on tech, there was a growing need for this kind of platform so like-minded peers within these industries can collaborate easier.”
What to expect
Blockchain, making money from legal innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), legal services accessibility – these are some of the many topics explored at a Legal Hackers London meetup.
Guests that attended the Legal Hackers June meetup heard from three field experts in London and Toronto’s tech innovation spheres, who discussed how their companies are breaking new ground in the legal space:
- Clausehound (London, ON): Clausehound created an online document assembly tool that helps lawyers and business owners create customized contracts from a pre-selected, local precedent. Clausehound established a London-based presence in early 2017.
- Diligen (Toronto, ON): Diligen developed software that combines automatic contract analysis with intuitive project management in one simple, secure interface. Diligen has been recognized by National Magazine as an innovator in the legal industry.
- NoticeConnect (Toronto, ON): NoticeConnect established a web platform for publishing and accessing legal notices online. Last year, NoticeConnect was recognized by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice as an accepted platform for advertising to creditors, as described in Canadian Lawyer Magazine.
The meetup was generously sponsored by LEDC, Ryerson University’s Legal Innovation Zone, and London-based law firms Siskinds LLP and Harrison Pensa LLP.
You can view highlights from this meetup on Legal Hacker London’s Twitter feed.
Join Legal Hackers London
The London chapter welcomes new members and sponsors, as well as volunteers to join the sustainability group to guide this new organization. To learn more and inquire, please email legalhackerslondon@gmail.com or visit https://www.meetup.com/Legal-Hackers-London/.
