The Law Tech Clinic: leading the way in entrepreneurial law clinics

Globalisation, economic forces, and advancements in technology are changing the way law is practised. Clients are seeking innovative solutions to an increasingly broad range of legal challenges. They want greater connectivity and streamlined delivery of legal services. The rate of change has accelerated in response to remote working, with the digital maturity of legal firms advancing more rapidly than ever before utilising electronic billing practices, digital mailrooms, e-discovery, digital document signing, and workflow automation.

With new legal technology being developed and deployed within the sector, there is increasing demand for lawyers with the skills to adapt and thrive in a technology-led environment. Law firms are seeking graduates with a 'technology mindset' and aptitude to think beyond the traditional professional services model. As one of the leading law schools in Australia, with a pioneering clinical program, Monash University has developed a Law Tech Clinic providing a unique opportunity for students to work on real matters and receive end-to-end industry input to develop client-ready applications.

This paper describes the structure of the Law Tech clinic and the ways in which the clinic is designed to educate students about the changing demands of the legal industry, and provide a practical knowledge on how to use legal technology to advance legal services. We also outline how the clinic enables students to develop the professional and practical legal skills to become successful future lawyers with an entrepreneurial mindset adept at integrating technology with innovative legal service.