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Legal technology: law in the digital age


This is a Law Subject Spotlight with Christopher Sykes from Manchester Metropolitan University. An interactive, cinematic course taster experience to allow students to gain insights into what it's like to study Law.

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In this fascinating Subject Spotlight, Christopher Sykes from Manchester Metropolitan University takes a deep dive into the world of legal tech, and discusses how it can be used to enhance the industry. In episode 1, Chris introduces the concept of legal tech and how it is being used. He also outlines how the development of AI has changed the landscape of the legal industry. In episode 2, Chris delves into predictive analytics within law and then discusses some of the ethical considerations that are imperative to using legal tech. In episode 3, Chris discusses some industry specific examples of the positive and negative impacts of legal tech, and how each of these instances has impacted the profession. In the final episode, Chris outlines the role of small and large law firms here in the UK. Chris then sets you an exciting activity which puts you in the shoes of someone working at a law firm who is tasked with using legal tech to improve efficiency in the firm.

About Manchester Metropolitan University

Manchester Met is home to one of the UK’s largest and most diverse student communities, with over 43,000 students representing over 100 countries. Located in the heart of Manchester, we provide a caring environment where students, staff, businesses and communities come together to innovate, share knowledge and help improve life for all. The courses we offer are designed around you and your future, and we collaborate with our partners to help you get hands-on industry experience. Rated Gold standard under the Teaching Excellence Framework, we’re committed to providing an outstanding student experience that gets you career, life, and future ready.

Meet the academics

Christopher Sykes

Christopher Sykes joined Manchester Law School in January and is an alumnus of the Manchester Law School - having studied his GDL (Graduate Diploma in Law) and LPC (Legal Practice Course) at Manchester Law School many years ago.  Christopher is qualified as a solicitor specialising in criminal defence, and although he no longer practices law he retains a strong interest in that area. Christopher left practice to teach law and legal skills in Spain, before co-founding a legal technology business in Hong Kong.  This is what brought him into the world of ‘legaltech’.  After this, he then pursued a career as a tutor, where he focused on the design and teaching of tech and innovation related programmes. Christopher now teaches digital skills and legal technology, and he supervises projects and dissertations focussing on this area.  Christopher is the Programme Leader for the LLM in Legal Practice, and unit leader of Legaltech Projects on the LLB and both Professionals in Practice and Digital Lawyering on the LLM LP.

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On-demand interactive video content

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Remarkable & relatable academics

Learn from some of the UK's finest and most decorated academics as they give you a genuine, insightful, and engaging experience of studying their courses at their universities.

Interactive quizzes and activities

Have a go at fascinating interactive quizzes and activities, then get meaningful and intuitive feedback from the academics to see how you've done.

Content to enhance students university applications

Hear direct from the academics what's expected of you in your university application, and the things you can do to improve your chances of getting on the course you most desire!

Certificate of completion

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Subject Spotlight?

Subject Spotlights fuse education and entertainment to bring you the new way of researching your university options.

Entirely free and available on-demand, you can choose to engage with the content in the way that best suits you - whether that's in bite-sized chunks or in binge-sessions!

Why should I check out Subject Spotlights?

Get a real, representative impression of what pursuing a subject at university is actually like, so that you can make the right decision for you.

Stand out from the competition by completing a Subject Spotlight to gain the most relevant references and evidence for your personal statement.

Who is this Spotlight for?

This subject spotlight is made for students aged 16 and above, that are considering applying to University, particularly to study the subject in the title, or similar areas.

How should I talk about completing a Subject Spotlight on my UCAS application?

Completing a Subject Spotlight shows the university you're applying to that you've taken time outside of school to engage with relevant content.

The easiest way to include it would be to briefly mention one or two things you learned from it and how/why those learnings have furthered your desire to study the subject. We don't want to prescribe an answer because it's your personal statement but this is a good starting point!