Centre for Legal Innovation

What Centre for Legal Innovation does

The Centre for Legal Innovation (CLI) is a not-for-profit legal innovation and LegalTech/AI-focused think tank established in 2016 as a division of the College of Law (College of Law Limited, ACN 138 459 015), operating across Australia, New Zealand, and the broader Asia-Pacific region. Headquartered in Brisbane with a Sydney office presence, CLI is staffed by a team of approximately 13 and led by Executive Director Terri Mottershead and Director of Innovation Alison Laird, with strategic guidance from a 15+ member international Advisory Board co-chaired by Warrick McLean and Caryn Sandler. Its purpose is to prepare, connect, and develop legal professionals navigating AI-driven disruption, spanning three workstreams: Emerging Legal Practice, Innovation and Legalpreneurship, and LegalTech and AI.

CLI does not build proprietary software; its product surface is a portfolio of research publications, educational resources, professional development programmes, and community events. The portfolio includes the Legalpreneurs Sandbox podcast series (77+ episodes), the Resource Hub (80+ items, 115+ news items), the CLI Future of Law Report (an independent profession-wide baseline on AI adoption compiled with research partner Matter), the Legal Prompt Engineering Guide by Dr Mitchell Adams, the CLI Innovation Incubator Programme, the Legalpreneurs Lab community, the Distinguished Fellowship in Emerging Technologies, and cohort-structured industry roundtables examining AI implementation. The flagship monetised offering is the annual CLI APAC Summit, with the 2026 edition scheduled for 19–20 October 2026 at Hilton Sydney.

The business model is hybrid: most resources (podcasts, reports, guides, roundtables) are distributed free, while paid transactional revenue comes from event tickets (AUD $385 per summit attendee, AUD $143 per pre-summit workshop attendee) and from the broader College of Law ecosystem that provides institutional backing, distribution, and operational infrastructure. CLI serves five primary segments — law firms, in-house legal teams, legal educators and students, legal operations professionals, and legalpreneurs/LegalTech founders — via a community-, event-, and content-led go-to-market motion executed through LinkedIn, YouTube, email newsletters, in-person summits, and a network of 20+ partner organisations including ACC Legal Tech, ALPMA, ALITA, ALTA, TerraLex, and Legal Hackers chapters. No venture funding, public listing, or M&A activity is disclosed; the entity is wholly owned and controlled by the College of Law.

Name

Centre for Legal Innovation

Legal name

College of Law Limited

Website

https://cli.collaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Centre for Legal Innovation is a not-for-profit think tank at the College of Law supporting legal professionals across Australia, New Zealand, and Asia-Pacific through research, events, podcasts, and community programs focused on legal innovation, LegalTech, and AI adoption.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Industry Research and Innovation Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal & Compliance (CLE, Paralegal CE) (EDAAALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Law School Continuing Legal Education (CLE) & Executive Programs (EDAHAIAH)

Keywords

• Legal innovation research
• Legal technology insights
• Law firm transformation
• Legal AI adoption
• Legal professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Revenue: CLI generates revenue through event registrations including the annual APAC Summit ($385 per person) and pre-summit workshops ($143 per person).
2. Survey Participation Incentive: The CLI Future of Law Report survey offers three $500 Visa gift cards as participation incentives. This drives engagement and data collection for the profession-wide baseline.
3. Educational Programs and Labs: CLI operates programs including the Legalpreneurs Lab, CLI Innovation Incubator, and Distinguished Fellowship program focused on emerging legal practice, innovation, and LegalTech/AI.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Centre for Legal Innovation (CLI) is an innovation-focused think tank established by the College of Law in 2016 that operates across Australia, New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region. CLI produces research publications (such as the Future of Law Report), delivers educational content (podcasts, guides, webinars), runs cohort-based roundtables, hosts an annual summit, and administers fellowship and incubator programs aimed at preparing legal professionals for AI and technology-driven disruption.

Product overview

The Centre for Legal Innovation (CLI) is an innovation-focused think tank at the College of Law (Australia, New Zealand and Asia-Pacific) that provides thought leadership, practical research, and collaboration opportunities for legal professionals. Rather than a unified software platform, CLI offers a portfolio of research publications, educational resources, professional development programs, and community events. The core offerings include the CLI Future of Law Report (research publication), Industry Roundtables (cohort-based discussions), Annual Summit (conference), The Legalpreneurs Sandbox Podcast (media content), Legal Prompt Engineering Guide (educational publication), and Distinguished Fellowships (research program). CLI also facilitates the Legalpreneurs Lab community and CLI Innovation Incubator Program. All offerings focus on helping legal professionals navigate AI adoption, legal technology implementation, innovation management, and the transformation of legal practice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Legalpreneurs Lab: A one-stop shop for information, experience sharing and networking about changes in the legal ecosystem and best practices from other industries.
• CLI Innovation Incubator Program
• The Legalpreneurs Sandbox Podcast Series
• Legalpreneurs Sandbox Podcast
• CLI Future of Law Report

Products and services

• The Legalpreneurs Sandbox Podcast A podcast series featuring interviews and discussions with legal innovators, practitioners, and thought leaders on topics including legal tech, AI, innovation, and the future of legal practice.
• Legal Prompt Engineering Guide A free comprehensive guide authored by Dr Mitchell Adams covering AI concepts, prompt design fundamentals, and practical applications for legal research, drafting, and client communication. Designed for law students, lawyers, and legal educators.
• CLI Future of Law Report An independent, profession-wide baseline survey and report on AI adoption, governance, and capability across the legal profession in Australia and New Zealand. Compiled with research partner Matter.
• Industry Roundtables: The Future of Law and AI Cohort-based virtual discussions examining findings from the CLI Future of Law Report, bringing together perspectives from across the legal profession to understand AI implementation and governance.
• CLI Annual Summit Annual in-person summit bringing together legal professionals to discuss the future of law, AI, and innovation. Features keynote sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities.
• CLI Innovation Incubator Program A program supporting law firms, legal departments, ALSPs, and community legal centres to conceive and advance innovation projects with specialist coaching.
• Distinguished Fellowship in Emerging Technologies A fellowship program supporting researchers and practitioners working on emerging technologies in legal practice, with fellows focusing on areas such as legal prompt engineering and AI classification frameworks.
• Legalpreneurs Lab A resource community for information, experience sharing, and networking about changes in the legal ecosystem, featuring Geeky Guru mentors specializing in document automation, legal design thinking, and innovation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Profession-wide baseline on AI adoption, governance and capability built across Australia and New Zealand
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vanderbilt Law SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2025Collaboration for Women + AI APAC Summit 2025 with Gilbert + Tobin. Includes joint programming, content development, and international knowledge sharing on AI in legal practice.
• Gilbert + TobincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2025Co-host of Women + AI APAC Summit 2025 with Vanderbilt Law School. CLI Advisory Board Co-Chair Caryn Sandler is Partner and Chief Knowledge & Innovation Officer at G+T.
• ACC Legal TechminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAssociation of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Legal Tech chapter partnership for legal technology and innovation community building.
• ALPMAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAustralasian Legal Practice Management Association - collaborative network for legal practice management professionals.
• ALITAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLegal technology organization ALITA - partner in legal innovation ecosystem.
• ALTAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAustralian Legal Technology Association - collaborative partner in legal tech community.
• AUSCLminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAustralian Corporate Legal Counsel community partner.
• Blockchain AustraliaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for blockchain and emerging technology discussions in legal context.
• BOTLminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartners of the BOTL (Bill of the Left) legal community.
• Buying Legal CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational organization focused on legal procurement and buying practices.
• Diversity LabminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganization focused on diversity and inclusion innovation in law.
• ELTAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExecutive Legal Training Association partner.
• FLIPminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFlexible Legal Jobs platform - legal innovation community partner.
• Justice Tech AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJustice Technology Association - collaborative partner for legal access and technology.
• LawFest NZminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew Zealand legal innovation and technology event partner.
• Legal Hackers MelbourneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLegal Hackers Melbourne Chapter - grassroots legal innovation community.
• LegalTechnology HubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLegal technology ecosystem hub partner.
• Legal Innovation ZoneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLegal innovation hub partner.
• Sydney Legal HackersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSydney Legal Hackers Chapter - local legal innovation community.
• TerraLexminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal legal network partner.
• VSCLminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVictorian Society for Computers and the Law - technology and law community.
• MattercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent research partner for the CLI Future of Law Report, providing neutral data collection and analysis for the profession-wide baseline survey on AI adoption.
• College of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLI is an innovation-focused think tank established by the College of Law in 2016. The College provides institutional backing, resources, and operates across Australia, New Zealand, and UK.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ABA Center for Innovation: The American Bar Association's Center for Innovation drives legal industry transformation through programs, research, and convenings—comparable in mission but operating at much greater scale as part of the largest US legal professional body.
• Law Society of England and Wales - Innovation: The Law Society runs innovation programs and policy work for solicitors in England and Wales. It is a broader incumbent with overlapping mission around legal innovation and professional development, though it serves a different geographic market and member base.
• Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory: Wolters Kluwer is a large incumbent providing legal information, software, and services, including thought leadership in legal innovation and AI. It is a broader incumbent with overlapping LegalTech/AI research and content, though serving a fundamentally different commercial model.
• ALM (Legalweek): ALM is a major legal media and events company producing Legalweek and related properties that cover legal innovation and technology. It is a broader incumbent in the legal events and content space, with overlapping audience but at much larger scale and commercial orientation.

Regional players

• Australian Legal Technology Association (ALTA): ALTA is an Australian LegalTech industry body promoting technology adoption in legal practice. It is comparable to CLI in regional focus and LegalTech advocacy, and is in fact listed as a CLI partner—suggesting a complementary rather than directly competing relationship.

Emerging players

• Legal Innovators UK: Legal Innovators is a UK-based organization supporting legal innovation through programs, content, and community events. It overlaps with CLI's emerging focus areas (Legalpreneurs Lab, Innovation Incubator) and serves as a comparable emerging player in legal innovation ecosystem building.

Direct peers

• International Legal Technology Association (ILTA): ILTA is a global membership organization serving the legal technology community with content, conferences, and peer networking—directly comparable to CLI's LegalTech/AI community-building and educational mission, though at a larger global scale.
• CodeX Stanford (The Center for Legal Informatics): Stanford CodeX is a legal technology and policy research center producing thought leadership, hosting events, and convening the legal innovation community. It is a direct peer in mission, structure (academic-anchored think tank), and content production approach.
• Legal Geek: Legal Geek is a UK-based LegalTech community and conference organization that builds events, content, and networks for legal innovators—directly comparable to CLI's event-driven and content-led GTM motions in the legal innovation space.
• Suffolk LIT Lab (Legal Innovation and Technology): Suffolk University's LIT Lab is an academic center focused on legal technology, design, and innovation education, producing research and educational resources. It is a direct peer in the academic-anchored legal innovation think tank model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Legalpreneurs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJKlbJs1z_JJBm2DMOvxyVw/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/centreforlegalinnovation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-for-legal-innovation
• Instagraminstagram.com/centre_for_legal_innovation/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centre for Legal Innovation