17 to 29 March 2025

Designing the Future: Entrepreneurship and Legal Tech Innovation program

Academic Education

Strengthening knowledge and skills

Presentation

The world of law is constantly evolving due to rapid technological advances and changing behaviours and expectations on the part of citizens and clients.

To thrive in this new reality, in addition to traditional legal skills, future lawyers, jurists, magistrates and other legal professionals will need to develop knowledge and skills in technology and human-centred innovation.

This course allows students to participate in the Legal Design workshop and the winning team in an international legal Hackathon.

Coordination

1675420879199

Inês Portela

SITE-CorpoDocente-ProfessoresResidentes_VeraLuciaRaposo_02

Vera Lúcia Raposo 

Aim of the course

This interdisciplinary program empowers students to be part of the evolution by equipping them with the knowledge and tools to integrate technology and entrepreneurship into their approach to law, and differentiate themselves as they embark on their professional journeys.

By the end of this course, students will:

  1. Understand emerging Industry trends such as legal operations, service legal design, and the impact of technology on the delivery of legal services.
  2. Build foundational awareness of legal tech, including document automation, no-code tools, AI applications, and acquire hands-on experience in one of the tools.
  3. Learn and apply design thinking methodologies to tackle complex legal challenges, and create impactful, client-focused solutions.
  4. Learn from global pioneers and collaborate with peers in a dynamic and diverse learning environment.
  5. Learn strategies to successfully contribute to digital transformation projects in law firms, corporate legal departments, or public institutions.

Target audience

Master’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees (3rd and 4th year) and PhD students:

  • Law students who aim to stand out and explore endless opportunities at the intersection of law, technology and innovation.
  • Public administration and political science students looking to understand the policy implications of legal innovation and technology adoption.
  • Technology, business, or design students who are interested in the application of their expertise to the legal domain.

Duration and Teaching Method

20-24 hours

Hybrid- 14h of classes in person and 6h (up to 10) online.

The course will have a maximum of 30 participants.

Note: The sessions will not be recorded.

Language

English 

Date

17 to 29 March 2025

  • 1st class: 17 March- In person
  • 2nd class:20 March- In person
  • 3rd class: 24 March- Online
  • 4th class: 27 March – Online
  • 5th lesson:  29 March – In person

Schedule

Weekdays from 6pm to 9pm and Saturdays from 10am to 7pm.

Legal Design workshop & Competition

Students will engage in a dynamic one day, in-person, project-based competition where they will work collaboratively in teams to tackle a complex challenge presented by an NGO.

At the end of the workshop, each team will pitch their proposed solutions to a jury composed of law firms, in-house, and other leading members of the justice system.

Award: International Legal Hackathon opportunity

The winning team of the competition (3–4 participants) is invited to join an international legal hackathon on April 26th in Munich, with travel and accommodation costs covered. This event will provide a transformative experience for all participants and is being organized by Liquid Legal Institute in collaboration with the startup ecosystem, in Germany. 

You will be asked to think boldly, creatively, and across multiple dimensions. If you are curious about legal hackathon, find more on this video and blog.

Fee

In order to guarantee access for students and support their preparation for and entry into the labour market, this course, with an actual tuition fee of €800, has the support of various sponsors who have made it possible to lower the tuition fee for the Designing the Future: Entrepreneurship and Legal Tech Innovation programme to €250.

  • 250€
  • Early Bird price (until 28 February): 212€
  • NOVA School of Law Alumni: 225€

* Discounts not cumulative

Scholarship

Up to three scholarships will be awarded to NOVA School of Law students, granting them tuition fee exemption for participation in the course.

For further details on the application process and selection criteria, click here.

Sponsors

What our students say about Legal Innovation by Design workshop

March 2024
Participating in the Legal Innovation by Design Thinking workshop showed me the transformative impact that legal design can have on the legal sector. The hackathon, from ideation to implementation, was a real challenge that required creativity and collaboration at every stage. In just a few hours, we developed an innovative product and structured a concrete proposal for an NGO. This contact with the real world provided a practical application of the knowledge acquired in the theoretical sessions and allowed us to turn concepts into tangible solutions. I am currently trying to incorporate this innovative approach into my work, with the aim of offering a more personalised service, focused on the needs of each client.
Catarina Rocha
The Legal Innovation by Design Workshop was an exceptional experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone eager to approach the Law from a disruptive and innovative perspective. Throughout the workshop, I gained valuable insights into how design thinking is a powerful tool for simplifying complex legal concepts and making them more accessible. It bridges communication gaps, enabling diverse stakeholders to understand the nuances of legal issues more effectively and fostering a more transparent dialogue. One of the key takeaways was the transformative potential of Legal Design in improving access to Justice. Far from oversimplifying information, Legal Design refines and clarifies it, rendering legal processes more user-friendly, inclusive, and equitable. As a law student, I found it particularly inspiring to apply, in a practical context, concepts I had previously encountered only in theory. Overall, the workshop significantly deepened my understanding of how design can transform the future of Law and legal services, positioning it as a vital mechanism for progress.
Constança Mendoza Fortuna

Programme

17 March

LegalTech, the key to the future?
Legal Engineering masterclass with Leya

Unique opportunity to see, learn and work with one of the most innovative platforms on the market: FT TOP 20 ranking in October 2024

Leya’s platform integrates with law firms’ documents, playbooks, templates, and external legal sources. It assists lawyers with specific tasks related to reviewing, searching, and drafting, such as filling in transaction checklists, creating key terms reports, and writing memos, for example.

 

20 March

Design Thinking: European Use Cases
Project management in Legal Operations

 

24 March

What is Justice Tech 

  • Maya Markovich, Executive Director, Justice Technology Association (USA)

The future of the Legal Profession | A journey in Design for Law, Compliance and Dispute Prevention

 

27 March

Legal Industry trends and Innovation by Design
Exploring Careers in Legal Tech and Operations

Real Stories from different European countries.

 

29 March

Legal Design Workshop & Competition

(10h00- 19h00) 

Students will engage in a dynamic one day, in-person, project-based competition where they will work collaboratively in teams to tackle a complex challenge presented by an NGO.

At the end of the workshop, each team will pitch their proposed solutions to a jury composed of law firms, in-house, and other leading members of the justice system.

Registrations








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