On May 20, 2016, CodeX – the Center for Legal Informatics at Stanford Law School – hosted FutureLaw 2016, CodeX’s fourth annual conference focusing on how technology is changing the landscape of the legal profession, the law itself, and how these changes impact us all.

The conference brought together academics, entrepreneurs, lawyers, investors, policy makers, and engineers spearheading tech-driven transformation in the US legal system and beyond.

Those of who didn’t get there are lucky, because the conference sessions have been made available (with great video quality!) on YouTube.

The keynote, entitled ‘The Technology Revolution, Lawyers, and Courts: Why So Slow? And How Can We Accelerate Change?’ is available here.

The remainder of the program was:

• Hot or Not – Watson and Beyond What data analytics technologies are in use today? What’s real and what’s marketing buzz? What’s possible in the foreseeable future? What are the implications for providers and consumers of legal services? What are the limitations? What are the policy implications?
• An Introduction to the UK’s Alternative Business Structure The U.K. Legal Services Act of 2007 allows non-lawyers to hold ownership and management positions in law firms and allows for the creation of multidisciplinary practices. As of 2012, the U.K. rule provides for a new kind of legal company, referred to as an alternative business structure (ABS). Perspectives on how the structure allows for significant advancements in legal technology and the delivery of legal services.
• Computational Law Update Computational law is based on the representation of law in computable form, which enables computers to analyze the law and automate legal processes. We see computable law applied across practice verticals, from computable contracts to back office automation. What are the latest breakthroughs in computational law and what are the biggest challenges?
• Unveiling LegalTech Database and Legal Tech Link A brief introduction to a new database which is the result of a Stanford project.
• Moot Court 2020: Legal Tech on Trial It is the year 2020. Plaintiff, a dissatisfied attorney, has brought suit against the entire legal tech industry, alleging that the claims and promises it made in 2016 amount to fraud and false advertising. Using a moot court format, this session explores some of the legal tech community’s grander predictions, and examines the various ways the community might succeed (or fail) in reaching these lofty goals.
• Barriers to LegalTech Adoption and Possible Solutions Many legal technology providers encounter lack of trust in their products as a viable complement or substitute to traditional legal services. A number of ‘coordination problems’ persist and keep us from designing a new system. Can insurance help overcome this challenge? If so, what standards are applied to human legal malpractice and what standards should be applied to machines? Should regulators step in?
•  The New Legal Tech Communities New kinds of communities are forming around the intersection of law and technology. These groups are bringing together entrepreneurs, academics, lawyers, and clients in new and exciting ways. In the process, they are reinventing the way that innovation is coming to the legal industry and creating new roles for its players. This panel will feature representatives of four different types of communities.
• Legal Technology in the Academy Legal informatics academics discuss their work in the field, and the relationship between academic research and applications of their work in the “real-world”.
• The Role of Technologists in Reforming the Criminal Justice System What data can/should judges and prosecutors use to determine who should be charged, who should get out of prison, and how to minimize recidivism? What are best practices for structuring analytics to provide greater transparency into police conduct? Collection, use and storage of police data.
• E-Government Governments around the world are investing heavily in technology to improve their efficiency, accessibility and transparency. What areas hold the biggest opportunities? What do you need to know about innovating in the government space?