Recording Available: Socio-Legal Annual Lecture 2026
The Centre for Socio-Legal Studies Annual Lecture 2026 is now available to watch online via YouTube.
This year’s lecture, Racing Technology to the Bottom: How Internet-Promoted Firms Disrupt Legal Services in China, was delivered by Professor Sida Liu (University of Hong Kong), one of the leading sociologists of law in Asia.
Introduced by Professor Fernanda Pirie, Director of the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, the lecture explored the emergence of “internet-promoted firms” (IPFs) in China and their transformative impact on legal services, professional ethics, and the working conditions of early-career lawyers. Drawing on extensive qualitative research and interviews with young lawyers across China, Professor Liu examined how digital platforms, social media marketing, and technological change are reshaping the legal profession.
Professor Liu is Professor of Law at the University of Hong Kong and Professor (by courtesy) in Sociology. His research focuses on the sociology of law, Chinese law and society, legal professions, criminal justice, and law and globalisation. He is the author and editor of several influential works, including Criminal Defense in China and The Asian Law and Society Reader.
Watch the full lecture recording below:
Lecture Abstract
Since the 2010s, a new type of law firm, commonly known as “internet-promoted firms” (IPFs), has emerged as a significant force in the legal services market in China, particularly in areas such as debt collection, personal injury, and labour disputes. These firms collaborate with online platforms and legal consulting companies to market their services through search engines and social media. While these developments have expanded access to legal services, they have also generated concerns relating to misleading advertising, weak regulation, and deteriorating working conditions for junior lawyers. The lecture considered how IPFs are disrupting traditional law firm models and transforming the legal services market in China.
The recording is openly accessible online and can be viewed on the Law Faculty YouTube channel.