Shaping Leadership for the Legal Profession of Tomorrow
Focusing on building capacity within the legal profession, the initiative equips practitioners with the tools, knowledge, and skills necessary to address both current and future challenges. It prioritises the integration of technological advancements and seeks to reduce disparities in access to justice, ensuring the profession remains adaptable and responsive in a rapidly evolving environment.
Through a collaborative approach that incorporates diverse expertise and perspectives, this initiative facilitates the development of innovative solutions, enabling legal professionals to navigate complex challenges and drive greater equity and accessibility within the justice system.
In partnership with: Centre for AI and Digital Ethics (CAIDE)
The Ninian Stephen Law Program: New Legal Thinking for Emerging Technologies represents a pioneering initiative designed to equip legal professionals with the methodologies, tools, and frameworks necessary to effectively address the complex challenges arising from new and emerging technologies. Developed in collaboration with the Centre for AI and Digital Ethics (CAIDE), this four-year program seeks to bridge the divide between technological advancements and the evolving landscape of legal practice.
At the heart of this initiative lies the application of systems thinking—a methodology traditionally utilised within engineering and computer science disciplines to examine the interaction between humans and technological artefacts. This approach enables an in-depth exploration of the limitations and possibilities within the regulation of emerging technologies, thus providing legal practitioners with innovative perspectives and strategies to respond to the challenges presented by these rapid advancements. Through this programme, the aim is to cultivate a generation of legal professionals adept at navigating the ethical, regulatory, and societal implications of technological innovation.
By integrating systems thinking into the framework of legal education and professional practice, the Ninian Stephen Law Programme endeavours to not only enhance legal responses to technological developments but also to shape a more adaptive, anticipatory, and comprehensive regulatory environment. Through rigorous research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovative legal thinking, the initiative aspires to lay the foundation for a legal profession capable of addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by emerging technologies.
Advisory Board
- Professor Jeannie Paterson, Co-Director, Centre for AI and Digital Ethics
- Profession Timothy Miller, Co-Director, Centre for AI and Digital Ethics
- Liz Gillies, CEO, Menzies Foundation
- The Hon. Susan Kenny AM, Judge of Federal Court of Australia
- Fiona McLeay, Board CEO & Commissioner, Victorian Legal Services Board
- Cheng Lim, Partner, King & Wood Mallesons
- Cameron Whittfield, Technology Law Partner PwC
- Carmel Mulhern, Group General Counsel and Group Executive, Legal & Group Governance at Commonwealth Bank
- Michelle Price, CEO, AustCyber (Australian Cyber Security Growth Network)
- Peter Collins, Ethicist
