Last updated on August 10th, 2023 at 08:39 pm
The International University of East Africa (IUEA) has finally launched its “LegalTech Project ” – an initiative aimed at creating an ecosystem through which ideas that seek to revolutionalize the legal industry using technology can be received, harnessed, and supported to bear fruit.
Launched on Friday 4th at an event held at the University campus in Kampala, the “IUEA LegalTech Project” is a culmination of the IUEA Law Faculty’s summit on technology and the law that was held last year in December and marks the first real attempt by a law teaching institution to integrate technology and the law into learning methods offered to law students beyond mere public forums.
The incubator hopes to catapult meaningful involvement by Africans in the technological revolution happening in the world today, according to Prof. Emeka Akaezuwa, the Vice Chancellor of the University.
Innovators and entrepreneurs in legal technology will be supported with infrastructure, mentorship, expertise, and funding to help turn their ideas into scalable enterprises.
“ The Judiciary, legal practitioners, law enforcers, law scholars, and law students all face significant challenges in their roles and we believe we can conduct cross-cutting research to deliver technological solutions to these challenges. That is the role of a University and that is precisely what our LegalTech project is about.” The University said in a Press statement.
“ The Legal Tech project will push us to think differently about legal education and practice in this modern era. It will catalyse innovation that meaningfully addresses Africa’s legal problems – something we should all aspire to as legal professionals. We recognize that research is the heartbeat of innovation, and as a University our contribution to the community is the time and resources we apply to researching new solutions to new problems as well as better solutions to existing problems.”
It added.
IUEA also launched a publication dubbed the “African Journal of Legal Issues in Technology and Innovation” to act as a platform for scholars and experts to explore critical issues at the intersection of law, technology, and innovation in Africa such as data governance, intellectual property, cyber security, among others.
Meanwhile, the Uganda Law Society has signed a deal with the Innovation Village to also promote legal technology among lawyers. Read about it here.
Benjamin Ahikiiriza is a Legal Writer And Digital Communications & Marketing Specialist majoring in Lawyers, Law Firms And the larger Legal Sector.
Benjamin currently Works as the Director of Content and Business Development At LegalReports.