Legal Technology in Legal Practice (975M3)
Legal Technology in Legal Practice
Module 975M3
Module details for 2026/27.
30 credits
FHEQ Level 7 (Masters)
Module Outline
Legal Technology in Legal Practice explores how legal technology is reshaping legal work. Students will examine opportunities (automation, research, drafting, analytics), challenges (ethics, bias, confidentiality, regulation), and real-world impact on courts, firms, legal advice centres and employment. Framed by human-centred design and inclusion, the module develops students’ ability to map workflow problems, evaluate tools and data responsibly, and imagine credible interventions that widen legal services while managing risk. By the end, students be able to assess legal-tech solutions, articulate their social and professional value, and chart future-ready career pathways across the evolving justice ecosystem.
Module learning outcomes
Demonstrate a systematic understanding of how AI and legal-tech tools apply to core legal workflows (research, review, drafting, analytics) and identify credible use cases.
Critically evaluate risks and duties (ethics, bias, confidentiality, data protection and regulation) and propose concrete mitigations/assurance steps for a chosen use case.
Map and redesign a real legal workflow using human-centred design; prototype and test a responsible intervention (e.g., prompt/system mock-up) with basic evaluation evidence.
Communicate a persuasive, evidence-based recommendation (value, cost, inclusion/Access-to-Justice impact, feasibility, risks) tailored to courts, firms or legal advice settings.
| Type | Timing | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Essay (2500 words) | Semester 2 Assessment Week 1 Mon 16:00 | 50.00% |
| Coursework | 50.00% | |
| Coursework components. Weighted as shown below. | ||
| Presentation | T2 Week 11 (15 minutes) | 100.00% |
Timing
Submission deadlines may vary for different types of assignment/groups of students.
Weighting
Coursework components (if listed) total 100% of the overall coursework weighting value.
| Term | Method | Duration | Week pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Semester | Seminar | 3 hours | 111111111110 |
How to read the week pattern
The numbers indicate the weeks of the term and how many events take place each week.
Please note that the University will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver courses and modules in accordance with the descriptions set out here. However, the University keeps its courses and modules under review with the aim of enhancing quality. Some changes may therefore be made to the form or content of courses or modules shown as part of the normal process of curriculum management.
The University reserves the right to make changes to the contents or methods of delivery of, or to discontinue, merge or combine modules, if such action is reasonably considered necessary by the University. If there are not sufficient student numbers to make a module viable, the University reserves the right to cancel such a module. If the University withdraws or discontinues a module, it will use its reasonable endeavours to provide a suitable alternative module.