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Levelling up access to justice

18 June 2021 / Roger Smith
Issue: 7937 / Categories: Opinion , Legal aid focus , Technology , Covid-19
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In the first of a three-part series, Roger Smith explores the current & future state of the access to justice sector

Few would dissent from the proposition that technology is changing our world—from online shopping to the application of artificial intelligence. And there would be similarly little opposition to the observation that technology is, more specifically, changing the practice of commercial law. Just look at the investment that firms like Allen & Overy are making in their own in-house innovation hubs to anticipate developments in the law tech market.

By contrast, the impact of technology on access to justice is much less clear. This article is the first of four to look at this issue. It covers some of the general issues. Three subsequent pieces will cover separate elements—legal practices focusing on clients with low incomes; the not-for-profit sector; and the courts.

Patchwork funding

Part of the obscurity comes just from the concept of ‘access to justice’ itself. This is a handy, ‘you know what I mean’ kind

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Clarke Willmott—Declan Goodwin & Elinor Owen

Clarke Willmott—Declan Goodwin & Elinor Owen

Corporate and commercial teams in Cardiff boosted by dual partner hire

Hill Dickinson—Joz Coetzer & Marc Naidoo

Hill Dickinson—Joz Coetzer & Marc Naidoo

London hires to lead UK launch of international finance team

Switalskis—11 promotions

Switalskis—11 promotions

Firm marks start of year with firmwide promotions round

NEWS
Peter Kandler’s honorary KC marks long-overdue recognition of a man who helped prise open a closed legal world. In NLJ this week, Roger Smith, columnist and former director of JUSTICE, traces how Kandler founded the UK’s first law centre in 1970, challenging a profession that was largely seen as 'fixers for the rich and apologists for criminals'
The dangers of uncritical artificial intelligence (AI) use in legal practice are no longer hypothetical. In this week's NLJ, Dr Charanjit Singh of Holborn Chambers examines cases where lawyers relied on ‘hallucinated’ citations — entirely fictitious authorities generated by AI tools
The next generation is inheriting more than assets—it is inheriting complexity. Writing in NLJ this week, experts from Penningtons Manches Cooper chart how global mobility, blended families and evolving values are reshaping private wealth advice
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming sport, from recruitment and training to officiating and fan engagement. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dr Ian Blackshaw of Valloni Attorneys at Law explains how AI now influences everything from injury prevention to tactical decisions, with clubs using tools such as ‘TacticAI’ to gain competitive edges
The Solicitors Act 1974 may still underpin legal regulation, but its age is increasingly showing. Writing in NLJ this week, Victoria Morrison-Hughes of the Association of Costs Lawyers argues that the Act is ‘out of step with modern consumer law’ and actively deters fairness
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