About our Innovation Competition
We have a reputation for excellence built throughout our 130-year history. As the firm has evolved, we have consistently innovated to drive positive change for our clients, while upholding the highest of standards.
Today, challenging the norm and embracing new, disruptive technologies enables us to offer unparalleled services to our clients. Our lawyers are some of the brightest minds in the legal industry, coupling this with innovative approaches, gives our teams the tools and agility to embody the entrepreneurial spirit of Slaughter and May.
The practice of law at Slaughter and May and across the legal sector is evolving. Agentic AI is at the forefront of this transformation, offering new ways for law firms to work more efficiently, enhance productivity, and rethink how legal services are delivered.
With this in mind, we invite future lawyers and legal operations professionals to join us in reimagining legal support by answering the following question:
We invite you to propose concept for an AI-powered multi-agent system designed to support lawyers or business services in their day-to-day work within a legal practice. Your idea should demonstrate how agentic AI can be applied meaningfully and responsibly to enhance legal workflows and professional standards.
Background
For us, innovation may involve new technologies, process improvements, agile resourcing models or a combination of these and it can result in anything from a small, incremental change in a process to a fundamental shift in the way a project is managed. Our approach considers the whole picture, and by applying a range of service delivery methods, we can meet our clients’ needs at the same time as improving the working lives of our people, making a big difference both inside the firm and out.
The Slaughter and May Innovation Competition is intended to help students develop their creative thinking skills by considering what the future may look like for our lawyers in an ever-changing technological world. Agentic AI is the latest disruption in the legal market that has the potential to have an unprecedented impact on the work we do. It is vital that we understand how it can be used to add the most value to our clients.
The rules of the competition are set out below.
To enter, you must be enrolled as a current university student at a UK university on the deadline for submission of entries. Both full-time and part-time, law and non-law, undergraduate and post-graduate students (including those studying for the PGDL or SQE) are eligible to enter.
Applications are invited to submit a response to the following challenge:
We invite you to propose a concept for an AI-powered multi-agent system designed to support lawyers or business services in their day-to-day work within a legal practice. Your idea should demonstrate how agentic AI can be applied meaningfully and responsibly to enhance legal workflows and professional standards.
Entries should consider the following:
- What specific challenges or inefficiencies might legal professionals face in their daily work?
- What tasks will the agents perform, and how will they collaborate with human professionals?
- 1–2 examples of how the system would be used in practice.
- How will this tool improve productivity, accuracy, learning, or wellbeing?
- What risks or limitations should be considered (e.g. data privacy, bias, over-reliance)?
- How would you mitigate these?
We welcome your response in any format you deem appropriate. Previous entries have included podcasts, video games, animations, and app proposals, but we encourage you to think creatively about how to present your ideas. Please note that we are not seeking traditional essays and would like to see your creativity shine through alternative formats. Please ensure this is submitted by Friday 27 February 2026.
If you have any questions regarding the format or need guidance, please email [email protected].
A panel of members of our Innovation Network will judge the competition. The winners will receive the following prizes:
|
First prize: |
£1,000 and three-day work experience* |
|
Second prize: |
£500 |
|
Third prize: |
£250 |
*The first prize-winner will also have the opportunity to take part in a three-day work placement within our Innovation team at Slaughter and May offering hands-on experience in integrating innovation into legal practice.
During your three-day experience with us, you will explore how we use legal tech to streamline processes and deliver exceptional service. You will also learn how we engage with clients across various industries to share ideas and tackle innovation challenges. Additionally, you will contribute to our AI initiatives, gaining insights into how this technology is reshaping the legal landscape. This is an exciting opportunity to develop new skills, learn more about the Firm, and connect with our lawyers, experiencing the innovative work we do here at Slaughter and May.
Please note to qualify for the work placement, you will be required to demonstrate that you have the right to work in the UK. Individuals who cannot provide evidence of their right to work in the UK will only be eligible for the monetary prize.
Ready to showcase your creativity? Submit your response via the application link below. Be sure to include all relevant details and follow the guidelines provided.
Please do not share your CV. Entries that consist only of a CV will not be accepted.
If you are experiencing any issues with your submission, please complete the entry form and then email the entry directly via email at [email protected].
Application Deadline: 6pm on Friday 27 February 2026
Slaughter and May has the right to publish or reproduce at any time all or part of any entries submitted. Slaughter and May reserve the right to delete or omit from any published article anything that in their absolute discretion should not be published on editorial or legal grounds.
The decision of the judging panel will be final. The result of the competition will be announced on our website.
The entry must be the sole creation and original work of the entrant.
Only one entry per person is allowed.
For any queries about the competition, please email [email protected].