Legal leaders confront AI at 2026 Summit
Judges, regulators, law firm leaders and students come together at The Mint to examine the strategic, ethical and practical impact of generative AI on the legal profession
Published on the 10 March 2026
On Wednesday 4 March, legal leaders, regulators, academics and students gathered at The Mint in Sydney for the Centre for the Future of the Legal Profession’s 2026 Legal Summit, Truth, Trust & Technology: Implications of AI for Law.
Held on a hot and humid Sydney day, the Summit delivered a varied program examining how generative AI is reshaping litigation, legal ethics, legal education and law firm strategy.
The Honourable Judith Gibson, Acting Judge of the New South Wales District Court, opened with a keynote address that reflected on professional skill, judgement and the challenges raised by emerging technologies in legal decision making.
The morning sessions focused on AI in practice. In GenAI in Litigation: the State of Play, Professor Michael Legg, Dr Felicity Bell and Vicki McNamara discussed the growing use of generative AI in court processes, alongside the risks of false citations, unverified reasoning and defective filings. The session highlighted increasing judicial scrutiny and the need for clear professional safeguards.
A standout session followed, with UNSW students leading AI and learning to be a lawyer: Data and debate: the student perspective. The panel offered a thoughtful account of how law students are navigating generative AI, capturing the mix of caution, uncertainty and optimism shaping the next generation of practitioners.
Before lunch, Noel Lim, CEO and Co-founder of Anika Legal and 2025 Victorian of the Year, turned the focus to access to justice. He argued that while generative AI may be a powerful accelerator, it will not close the justice gap without deeper structural and cultural change across the legal system.
The afternoon broadened the focus. Cyber security experts from Gilbert + Tobin examined the evolving threat landscape for law firms, while Stephen Bray, Commissioner for Uniform Legal Services Regulation at the Legal Services Council, addressed the ethical dimensions of AI adoption and the profession’s responsibility to maintain public trust.
The Summit closed with a provocation from Professor George Shinkle of the Australian Graduate School of Management. In a wide ranging discussion on AI and Business Ramifications for the Legal Sector, senior leaders were challenged to articulate how their organisations are responding strategically to generative AI, not only in the short term but over the longer horizon. The discussion prompted candid reflections from panellists and strong engagement from the audience, making it a fitting conclusion to the day.
Ongoing research and national guidance
The themes explored at the Summit reflect the Centre’s ongoing research into AI use in litigation. An earlier version of the Centre’s national list of court and regulator guidance on generative AI was included in the Summit presentation.
The updated document, Artificial Intelligence - Practice notes and guidance from Australian courts and legal regulators, brings together publicly available practice notes and guidance across jurisdictions including New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Federal courts, as well as joint regulator statements. It is current as at 9 March 2026 and will be updated periodically to reflect new or revised materials. The Centre welcomes submissions of additional guidance as it continues to refine the list.
Research on AI use in litigation is continuing, and readers are encouraged to visit the Centre’s research webpage for the latest updates and publications in this rapidly evolving area.
The Centre extends its thanks to Gold Partner Mary Technology and Silver Partner Harvey for supporting the 2026 Legal Summit.