Think Tank Workshops

Future Lawyers in a Tech-Driven World: Strategies for Success
In May 2025, the Centre for the Future of the Legal Profession hosted its second Think Tank, bringing together participants from leading law firms, in-house counsel, professional services, access-to-justice organisations, legal design and technology providers, and academics from 黑料网大事记 Law & Justice.
The theme, Future Lawyers in a Tech-Driven World: Strategies for Success, explored how rapid technological change is reshaping the legal profession and what lawyers need to succeed in this evolving environment.
Key Discussions
Participants shared experiences and analysed challenges surrounding the adoption and integration of legal technology. While generative AI was at the forefront, the conversation extended to foundational business tools, data privacy, technology procurement, and 鈥渂uy vs build鈥 approaches. Challenges identified included:
Misconceptions about emerging technologies
Misalignment with business needs
Lawyers鈥 lack of time to experiment
Integration and hidden costs of adoption
Resistance to change and lack of senior leadership support
Generational differences and the erosion of informal knowledge exchange in hybrid settings
Broader impacts
The Think Tank also examined how technology is influencing pricing models, organisational culture, client expectations, roles and career pathways, legal service delivery models, and ethical and compliance obligations. While technology creates opportunities for innovation, efficiency, and greater access to justice, it also raises questions about the skills, training, and professional development required of future lawyers.
Preparing future lawyers
Participants emphasised the need for more adaptive legal education and training. They highlighted the importance of balancing doctrinal learning with exposure to practical tools, interdisciplinary approaches, and innovative professional development. With routine work increasingly automated, traditional apprenticeship pathways may be disrupted, placing greater emphasis on technical, analytical, interpersonal, and ethical capabilities.
Strategies for success
Suggestions to support future lawyers included:
Fostering a culture of experimentation and innovation
Leveraging AI for learning and supervision
Embedding problem-solving and risk management skills early
Designing inclusive, accessible, and practice-aligned training
Strengthening the education-to-practice pipeline
Encouraging entrepreneurship and cultural change within organisations
The insights from this Think Tank will help shape the Centre鈥檚 ongoing research agenda, ensuring that lawyers are equipped to thrive in a profession increasingly driven by technology.
The Centre compiled a comprehensive report on the Think Tank鈥檚 findings, which was distributed exclusively to attendees.聽