The digital transformation of the UK legal sector will be backed by up to £4 million in new government funding to help keep it at the global forefront of innovation.

UK legal sector funding will deliver a second phase of the LawtechUK programme, supporting modernisation through the development of new technologies like machine learning and data analytics.

Moving to the second phase of the programme will help the UK to retain its competitive global edge, creating jobs and boosting access to legal services for individuals and businesses through technology.

LawtechUK is a government-backed initiative, launched in 2019, with an initial £2m investment to transform the UK legal sector through technology. It provides resources, programmes and courses to promote new ways of delivering and accessing legal services via digital solutions.

Justice Minister Lord Bellamy QC commented: “A thriving lawtech sector will help ensure the UK continues as a world-leading legal services centre and attracts the very best talent.

“This investment will support the market to develop the technology it needs to drive modernisation and deliver first-class legal services.”

The LawtechUK programme has been delivered by growth platform Tech Nation in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and the LawtechUK Panel, a board of industry experts.

Previous funding for Tech Nation helped to launch the Lawtech Sandbox – a research and development programme for UK entrepreneurs and startups to test and develop products or services looking to address the legal needs of businesses and society.

Scottish tech startup Valla was announced as part of the sandbox in October last year, after a report from earlier that year from LawtechUK found that greater adoption of lawtech by legal service providers could lead to productivity gains worth £1.7bn to the UK economy.

Lawtech has been noted as one of the fastest growing technology sectors in the UK with companies growing by an average rate of 101% over the last three years.

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Director of LawtechUK Alexandra Lennox commented: “Technology has the potential to transform business’ and peoples’ experience of law, meet unmet legal needs and support professionals to deliver the next generation of legal services.

“We have seen great progress towards this future since LawtechUK’s inception and this next phase of funding will build on those important foundations, helping cement the UK’s position as a global hub for technology and law.”

LawtechUK aims to improve understanding and awareness of legal technology and has produced a free online learning and research hub as well as a website to allow the sharing of experiences of remote alternatives to traditional court hearings.

The investment will also continue to support and promote the work of the LawtechUK’s Jurisdiction Taskforce to ensure English law keeps pace with technological developments – helping the UK to maintain its place as an international hub for emerging technologies.

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