The Legal Innovation Laboratory at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) is reshaping the future of law in the province through innovative collaborative efforts.
Since its inception in 2023 at the faculty of law, the lab has been a hub for cutting-edge research and practical solutions for access to justice. It addresses everything from court websites and e-filing to the ethical use of AI in the justice system while fostering experiential learning for law students.
The lab's projects are funded by the Canada Research Chairs Program, the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation and the Canadian Bar Association's (CBA) Law for the Future Fund.
"We are building an e-filing platform for the UNB Legal Clinic in collaboration with the New Brunswick Court of King's Bench and have received a year of funding from CBA," said Dr. Argyri Panezi, Canada Research Chair in Digital Information Law and Policy and the lab's director.
The project, which she hopes will be completed next year, will allow the clinic to guide clients through the uncontested divorce process and generate documents in both English and French. They must still be printed and filed manually.
Panezi said the court was already sold on the idea that the entire process eventually should be electronic filing. The lab wants to help all stakeholders move to that goal.
"Sooner or later, it will happen. There are advantages to coming late to the game because we can use the latest software."
Four students from UNB's Pro Bono Students Canada chapter and four others are working on the project.
The lab also is generating a report proposing changes to New Brunswick's court website. The report will soon become public.
"We had students look at the New Brunswick website and then compare it to the court websites of other jurisdictions," Panezi said.
"They made specific suggestions as to what could change and why those changes would be helpful."
The lab's work extends to broader issues. In August, it hosted the second Access to Justice Symposium. In 2025, it will co-host the event with Public Legal Education and Information Service New Brunswick.
The symposium gathered government, courts, non-profits and academic representatives.
"We called all stakeholders to come together and talk," Panezi said. "It was a scholarly event, a symposium more than a summit."
Artificial intelligence (AI) is another of the lab's interests.
"Every sector is worried about how to employ AI systems. It is very relevant today," she said.
"Courts around the world have been quite concerned about that. Court systems in other provinces and at the federal level in Canada have issued statements about using AI in the courts. In some cases, courts ask parties to declare if they use AI tools."
Panezi said New Brunswick hasn't issued specific AI guidelines for the justice system.
"This is not an oversight. The Law Society of New Brunswick requires ethical standards and obligations. Lawyers must meet these ethical standards and be responsible for their submissions."
The lab prepared a short submission following the guidelines of a UNESCO call for articles examining AI practices in judicial systems.
It also made a submission to a Canadian government consultation on intellectual property.
"We looked at AI as it affects the justice system and intellectual property. Along with UNB Libraries, we sent a submission to the Consultation on Copyright in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence," she said.
"There are so many legal issues with AI. Client-lawyer privilege and security, and then the pending cases worldwide as to whether these AI companies have infringed the intellectual property rights of authors whose works have been used without their consent."
The lab is also involved in the New Brunswick Advisory Committee on Access to Justice, under the leadership of the Chief Justice, which was announced at last year's summit.
"This is a multi-stakeholder initiative led by the courts. We will see developments there and tie this to the summit. We can get feedback on what needs to be prioritized immediately from users and all the relevant communities in New Brunswick that are interested in access to justice and the modernization of justice."
The experiential learning at the lab is invaluable, according to four third-year law students working there.
"Work on the Access to Justice Summit and improving the NB Courts website has been valuable and fulfilling," said Kyle Cullen.
"Technology law is complex, with new technologies bringing advantages and legal questions. Assisting with research at the lab has been an extraordinary learning experience, especially with recent AI developments.
"I feel very fortunate to be involved," he said.
Laura Rourke said researching new and evolving technology law topics has been one of the most enjoyable experiences of her time at UNB Law.
"Discussions around access to justice led me to law school, and continuing those with legal scholars and the judiciary has given me skills to think outside the box," she said.
"Participating in research projects on AI and legislation has been invaluable as I enter the legal field. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Panezi and the lab."
Jacob Powning (BA'21, IDST'22) called the experience a "privilege."
"Dr. Panezi has given us opportunities to interview chief justices, meet key figures in cybersecurity, AI and access to justice, and engage in significant research. I've learned about the challenges of drafting laws for emerging technologies and developed a deeper understanding of access to justice in New Brunswick," he said.
"This experience has reinforced my pride in our legal community and highlighted the importance of focusing on how technology affects human lives rather than just its novelty."
Amin Tabrizchi has found the opportunity "very fulfilling."
"The lab's mission-driven approach to providing access to justice inspires me to contribute wholeheartedly. Our team, united in advancing access to justice in New Brunswick, benefits from diverse perspectives and skills," he said.
"Whether brainstorming user-friendly legal tools or collaborating with partners like the UNB Legal Clinic, every project feels like a meaningful step toward a more inclusive justice system.
"It's an honour to contribute to a mission combining practical impact with visionary thinking."
On the horizon, Panezi sees the importance of better cybersecurity in the face of advances in quantum computing, which uses the principles of quantum mechanics to process information for complex tasks in ways that can vastly outperform traditional computers.
She said critical infrastructure must be strengthened to withstand the expected advancements in quantum computing, which will easily overwhelm existing cybersecurity.
The lab has applied for two grants to work on quantum policy in collaboration with others at UNB, including researchers from the Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity, physicists and chemists.
Panezi said the lab is now participating in discussions and writing papers around security questions. And if the grants come through, the team will deep dive into the world of quantum policy in the year ahead.
"We must transition to post-quantum cryptography," she said.
