A legal services market in which only one in three individuals - and one in ten small businesses - with a legal problem get expert advice isn’t working as well as it should be. In sector after sector digital technology has made life easier for customers, giving them more choice and control. In legal services though, technology has made less of an impact.

The Legal Access Challenge is looking for innovative digital technology solutions that will help individuals and SMEs to better understand and resolve their legal problems. As well as accelerating these innovations through the provision of financial prizes and broader support, the Challenge aims to increase industry, regulatory and political attention on the unmet legal need individuals and small businesses face - and the role digital technology can play in meeting that need.

To launch the Challenge we are convened an evening panel event in London on Thursday 30th May. An audience of technology entrepreneurs, solicitors, regulators, policymakers and civil society groups, met to discuss:

● How far can tech go in making legal support accessible and affordable to everybody? Is tech going to transform how people experience legal services?
● What barriers are holding back innovation in tech that directly helps people to resolve their legal problems?
● Who should play what part in encouraging a new generation of digital legal services?