Opportunity for not-for-profits: Students to develop client solutions using legal tech

Australasia News

23
Jan
2019

Editor

Applications are now open for not-for-profit legal service providers interested in developing web-based applications which improve the community’s access to justice. 

Successful applicants will collaborate with students at no cost as part of Melbourne Law School’s subject Law Apps, run in conjunction with global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills, and Neota Logic, creators of the world’s leading platform to capture and automate expertise.

In Law Apps, students collaborate with a not-for-profit organisation to identify common legal problems that can be answered through a series of structured questions. The applications are built on a platform provided by software provider Neota Logic, who will provide complimentary hosting and support of applications for two years. 

Since the subject’s inception in 2015, students have built applications now being used by a wide range of organisations including Justice Connect, Youth Law and Consumer Action. 

Gary Cazalet, Senior Lecturer at Melbourne Law School, said that Law Apps presents an invaluable opportunity for not-for-profit organisations to leverage the skills of students, Herbert Smith Freehills and Neota Logic. 

‘Students develop apps that can provide real benefit to their client organisations, using technology to streamline the delivery of legal services and ultimately increase the community’s access to justice,’ Cazalet said. 

Herbert Smith Freehills Australian Regional Managing Partner, Andrew Pike, said the legal industry and not-for-profit sector will both benefit significantly through collaborating with Law Apps.

‘We are proud to be working with Melbourne Law School and Neota Logic to prepare future lawyers for life in an industry that is seeing rapid technological change, and to streamline legal processes for not-for-profit organisations,’ he said.  

Kenji Yamada, Head of Education and Community programmes at Neota Logic commented, ‘We are extremely proud of our collaboration with Melbourne Law School and Herbert Smith Freehills and look forward to working with leading not-for-profit organisations to help them transform the way they provide legal services and information’. 

Applications close 5pm on Friday 8 February.