Student-run Legal Innovation Conference brings together leading experts from across the country

Members of the Law & Business Association (from top left): Haley Cabral, Olivia Pietras, Tyler Warchola, Akash Purewal, Josh Koop, Haya Masri, Everett Putz, Darian Smigorowsky, Katherine Negahdar, Vivien Stefanic, Sereena Dosanjh, Sarah Rhydderch

New technologies have started to change the day-to-day practice of law in significant ways, and the organizers of the 2022 Legal Innovation Conference want to explore what this means for the profession.

“You can see where we’re at today, with the legal field adopting new technologies, and I think it’s going to be great — not only for the lifestyles of lawyers, but how they can serve their clients,” said Tyler Warchola, an executive member of the Law & Business Association at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law.

“Introducing & Embracing Tech & Automation in the Legal Industry” is a free event taking place throughout the day on January 28. Along with students, faculty members and lawyers, the organizers hope to attract members of the computer science, business and start-up communities.

“If you can bring these communities together and they see that there’s potential, there’s a market, there’s a need…I think a lot of really exciting prospects come out of those collaborations,” said Warchola.

For the second year in a row, the conference will be held online — allowing people from across the country to attend. “Our reach is quite broad,” said LBA co-president Haley Cabral. “We’ve talked to law schools across Canada, and we’ve talked to the business schools as well. It’s not just solely focused on the U of A."

Through three panel discussions, the conference will highlight different aspects of this year’s theme.

The first session looks at how government and community initiatives are setting up frameworks to promote innovation. It brings together Len Polsky from the Law Society of Alberta, Will Morrison from the Law Society of Ontario and Paul Paton, former dean of the Faculty of Law, to discuss how “innovation sandbox” initiatives in particular can help legal start-ups overcome regulatory barriers.

The second session highlights some of the innovative tools being developed to automate legal processes. The speakers include: Amir Reshef, ’14 JD/MBA, who created the dealcloser app to modernize the deal closing process, Teruel Carrasco, CEO of the commercial lending platform Lending Assist and Mike Zouhri, co-founder of the PainWorth app for settling personal insurance claims.

The third session explores real-life examples of how new technologies are being implemented at firms and across the legal sector. The speakers include Gillian Scott from Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Kate Simpson from Bennett Jones LLP and Jordan Titosky from University of Alberta Student Legal Services.

The forward-thinking focus of this year’s event is in keeping with the approach the student-run Law & Business Association has taken since the conference started in 2016.

“We try to grapple with topics that are really focused on building long-term growth,” said LBA member Akash Purewal, who organized the 2021 conference.

“[We want to] expose students and professionals to these ideas, so that maybe five years from now they remember this conference…and have an idea that will help grow the legal industry in that regard.”

Warchola is also hopeful the conference will allow people to make connections that can lead to new ideas coming to life.

“If this conference can even bring together a single group of people, or if one person walks away with not only being excited but seeing a path to collaboration with someone and a tool develops out of it, I think that would be the ultimate outcome.”

For more information about the conference and to register, click here.