Flinders Uni embeds tech in new law courses

Flinders University has launched a range of new law courses studyng the legal implications of emerging technologies and how they can be used to in legal practice to increase the quality of service.

It follows a successful pilot at the uni in which law students designed and built their own apps using Neota Logic's artificial intelligence software to increase their technological literacy.

The app building pilot was also billed as a way of increasing people's access to legal services in areas where they might otherwise not be able to - another goal of the new suite of courses.

Dean of Law, Associate Professor Tania Leiman said in a statement that the new courses will be available for study from March next year.

"On of the core topics is Law in a 'Digital Age', which seeks to equip students with the digital skills to assist clients to access justice," Leiman said.

“It’s a topic of vital importance given the fast changing pace of technology – the transition from telex to fax to emails has happened in some 30 years and the pace of change continues to accelerate, so graduates need to be able to adapt to the next generation of technology, whatever that may be.

"Knowing the law in and of itself is no longer enough; graduates also need to understand and be capable of harnessing the channels through which justice is delivered, and that’s not just the court room – it’s increasingly the cybersphere."

Another course, 'Technology Law', will focus on the challenges of regulating technologies including social media, artificial intelligence, fintech, internet censorship and "everything in between," the university said.

'Legal Innovation and Creative Thinking' is another course designed to help law students drive innovation in the sector and recognise new and existing opportunities driving by creative thinking.

“Students will additionally have the opportunity to embrace legal innovation for social good as part of their course options,” Leiman added.

She said that while the principles on which legal studies has been based for hundreds of years has long produced "exceptional" lawyers, there's an increasing need to augment those jurispredential skills with skills that can enable justice to be effectively delivered in modern society.

"Technological innovation is transforming almost every aspect of the law and legal practice, creating new ways of working in new markets

"These bold new offerings mean that a Flinders Law degree will give students the skills and knowledge required to adapt and thrive in a changing legal landscape."