Oxford Law students explore latest legal tech at AI hackathon
Students in the Faculty of Law took part in a hands-on legal tech hackathon organised in collaboration with legal automation company BRYTER and international law firm Reed Smith LLP.
The event offered participants an opportunity to experiment safely and responsibly with AI and workflow automation tools while exploring how technology is transforming modern legal practice.
Thirty students worked in teams to design and build legal technology tools using BRYTER’s automation platform and AI workspace, neither of which require any coding experience. The session introduced students to the emerging discipline of legal engineering – a field that combines legal expertise with system design and technology.
Working in eight teams, students were challenged to create functional prototypes addressing real legal problems. The projects demonstrated the wide range of potential applications for legal technology, including a cyberattack response assistant, an automated non-disclosure agreement generator, and a case law summarisation tool.
Undergraduate Law student Polina Kim was part of a team that developed an application designed to help lawyers review tax issues and risks when two companies are involved in a merger or acquisition. Polina said: “The hackathon has been really interesting and has helped us better understand how AI works in the legal context. It’s been useful to hear how Reed Smith has been using BRYTER to solve real-world problems.”
Fellow team member Enrikas Juselis added: “The scalability of these tools and the speed at which AI has taken off is fascinating. What we’ve heard today has demonstrated that we’ll definitely be using AI in some form when we enter the legal profession.”
Following the main hackathon, several teams chose to continue into an optional 24-hour legal innovation challenge, refining their prototypes and integrating additional AI features.
Dr Micha-Manuel Bues, co-founder of BRYTER and an Oxford Law graduate, encouraged students to think creatively about the evolving roles within the legal profession and the growing importance of technological skills. He said: “It is incredibly exciting to see what students can build in such a short amount of time. Their motivation and commitment show that the next generation is ready to engage with technology in a serious and creative way.”
Struan Britland, Director of Legal Engineering at Reed Smith Legal Solutions, added: “Developing the next generation of legal engineers is critically important for law firms and in-house legal teams. We need legal professionals who not only understand legal domains, but who can also design systems and processes that deliver legal services efficiently, consistently, and at scale.”
The hackathon formed part of the Faculty’s wider programme of careers and professional development initiatives, giving students practical insight into how emerging technologies are reshaping legal practice.