Wotton Kearney Neota UTS Law Tech Challenge for Social Justice

Students who participate in the Law Tech Challenge often say it's the best experience they have while at UTS. But what is it?

The Wotton Kearney Neota UTS Law Tech Challenge for Social Justice is not just a mouthful. It's also an annual innovation incubator embedded within the Brennan Justice and Leadership program and sponsored by Wotton Kearney. In the Challenge, students form teams to work with not-for-profits, guided by legal mentors and trained on the Neota Logic platform, a no-code/low-code tool designed for legal professionals with minimal programming background.

Participation in the Law Tech Challenge offers a dynamic, team-based opportunity to innovate legal solutions using technology for real social impact. It’s a unique bridge between law, technology, and justice-driven practice. Students spend time working with their clients, whose critical needs for a technological solution come first. This culminates every August with a Grand Final event where four teams present their apps to an audience of mentors, organisations, UTS Faculty of Law academics, and key industry stakeholders. A winner is chosen by a panel of expert judges.

Students are also eligible to receive Leadership Through Service (LTS) hours that count towards the Brennan Award. These hours recognise students’ commitment to making a difference in their community through long-term creative, collaborative, and innovative projects. By joining the Brennan Program, you're engaging deeply with societal issues and strengthening your leadership and service skills—beyond just theoretical learning.

Text: UTS Law Tech Challenge. Photo of young student.

UTS Law Tech Challenge for Social Justice - Student Experience

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UTS Law Tech Challenge for Social Justice - Student Experience transcript

So the students that we had in the program this year were incredible. They were getting on with their studies but meanwhile actually made friends from teams, collaborated and solved their clients problems. So my favorite part about the challenge has been collaborating not only with my team but also with our client especially because it's been about social justice. I think when you get a lot of minds in a room you can really make change, it makes me feel like I was really contributing to a just cause and to let's say a brighter future for legal technology. I really enjoyed meeting with my team each week and we had a really diverse team with a transdisciplinary background. This challenge has taught me to approach problem-solving in a really holistic manner. it's enabled me to consider multiple perspectives before coming up with a solution. I like most about the challenge the fact that we got to make a real service for a real client and that really taught me a lot about project management and design which is something you don't get to touch on as much in the law school, so client liaison is paramount in this challenge. Your client should be with you every step in the way during your development process and you should plan your client engagement ahead to avoid any delay in your development process as well. One of the biggest things I'd recommend them for future law students taking part and the challenge is to get to know that client and really get to know the clients problem. If you don't understand a client's problem you really can't solve anything. If you're thinking of taking part in this challenge I would say go for it although there is a lot of hard work, it is a lot of fun. I feel like going through this challenge has really set me apart from other students.

The challenge was launched in 2016 through a partnership between Allens law firm and Neota Logic software. When Allens stepped back, the Faculty of Law and Neota Logic saw the value of continuing the program to support not-for-profits across Australia. In 2025, Wotton Kearney stepped in to provide sponsorship, expertise and mentors for the Challenge, thereby helping foster students’ creativity, legal skills, and collaborative problem-solving.

This challenge is unique. It forges the real world intersection between community organisations, student teams, mentors from Allens and Neota to create an app promoting social justice through real world impact.

Professor Anita Stuhmcke, Dean, UTS Faculty of Law

UTS has welcomed previous partnerships from Marrickville Legal Centre, International Committee of the Red Cross, Anti-Slavery Australia, Sydney Story Factory and Women’s Justice Network - just to name a few; a full list is below.

Past participating non-profit organisations

  • AIME Mentoring
  • Arise Foundation
  • Arts Law Centre of Australia
  • Anti-Slavery Australia
  • Aurora Project
  • Autism Spectrum Australia (ASPECT)
  • Capital Punishment Justice Project
  • Community Legal Centres NSW
  • Inner City Legal Centre Sydney
  • International Committee of the Red Cross
  • International Social Service Australia
  • JusticeConnect
  • Marrickville Legal Centre
  • Opportunities Australia
  • Public Interest Advocacy Centre
  • National Association of Community Legal Centres
  • Redfern Legal Centre
  • Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS)
  • Refugee Legal Centre
  • Respect. Now. Always (UTS)
  • SPELD NSW
  • Sydney Story Factory
  • Tender Funerals
  • The Humanitarian Group (Perth)
  • The Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research
  • The Law Society of NSW
  • Western Sydney Community Legal Centre (WSCLC)
  • Women's Justice Network (WJN)
  • Youthbank International

How to apply 

Complete your Expressions of Interest form prior to 29th September, 2025 by 9AM. 

Organisation partnership information

If you’re a not-for-profit who has heard about the benefits of technology for legal applications, then you’re right to consider the Brennan Justice and Leadership Program’s Law Tech Challenge as a solution.

Often, the not-for-profit and charity sector that run on little money, with dedicated volunteers, to support local, immediate, and sometimes even national communities. Money and time are often in short supply, leaving little capacity to change processes and facilitate new innovations.

That's where the Wotton Kearney Neota UTS Law Tech Challenge for Social Justice can help. If you are a NFP with a complex issue you know technology might be able to fix but you don’t have the legal knowledge or support to create the solution, contact BrennanProgram@uts.edu.au to be put in touch with the law tech challenge Administrator and academic lead.

Past winners

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