Legal Innovation Lab Wales

18

2.24 Progressing the platform has been challenging. There was strong interest initially from several other institutions (notably Cambridge, Ulster, and Edinburgh), but it was reported to the evaluators that formalising this through a collaboration agreement, and subsequently co- designing the platform in partnership was not straightforward . Ulster’s involvement in the project ceased due to major structural changes in staffing at the institution. Further, two recruitment rounds to appoint a Project Officer to provide additional capacity to lead on developing the platform were unsuccessful. In addition, progress on the platform was impacted by the handover process associated with a change in Project Manager, although work recommenced subsequently. Given this range of challenges, the progress made at this stage by the activity is encouraging, although the successful delivery and subsequent usage and impact of the platform remains uncertain at this stage. Given the potential of the platform to deliver important legacy benefits from the operation, it is important that the University explores possible funding mechanisms to sustain delivery going forward.

2.25 Other LegalTech strategic projects include:

• Wales LegalTech start-up map: The goal of the map is to outline Welsh LegalTech innovation, understand the opportunities and potential challenges of being in LegalTech in Wales and influence policies around LegalTech entrepreneurship in Wales. The LegalTech research team conducted interview research with start-ups and law firms to inform the map, and key findings from the final report will be delivered at a LawTech UK 3 event in June. • The LegalTech Observatory: The observatory will act as a hub for news and updates on LegalTech, hosted online. Lab research projects, original content on LegalTech issues, and external projects and LegalTech news will be part of the Observatory. Posts will be organised chronologically allowing the evolution of LegalTech in the UK to be codified. The website has been designed and is ready to go live following the competition and signoff of final formatting/visuals.

Engagement and dissemination activities

2.26 Following the Mid-Term Evaluation, the operation has continued to deliver a broad range of engagement and dissemination activities with staff based at Swansea University and external stakeholders. Positively, as Covid-19 related restrictions eased, the operation was able to engage with/deliver in-person events and activities. Some recent examples include: • Attendance and/or contributing to events and conferences. For example, members of the LILW team delivered a webinar showcasing ‘The C ovid-19 Impact on Employment Law Forums’ project in collaboration with the LegalBeagles online advice forum; attended the Swansea Science Festival where they demonstrated a legal advice chatbot designed

3 LawTech UK is a government-backed initiative, supported by CodeBase and Legal Geek. It was established to support the transformation of the UK legal sector through technology, for the benefit of society and the economy.

Legal Innovation Lab Wales

Made with FlippingBook HTML5