Lawyers urged to embrace technology to remain relevant

KAMPALA - Lawyers have been urged to embrace technology, which has become an integral part of society or else become irrelevant in the near future.

Anthony Asiimwe, the Uganda Law Society (ULS) vice president, made the call during the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Uganda Technology and Management University (UTAMU) on Monday, August 18, 2025.

The memorandum of understanding will see UTAMU design and deliver tailored training programs for ULS members, including continuing legal education (CLE) accredited courses.

Asiimwe said a lawyer who will not embrace technology will soon become irrelevant in the job market. He urged members of the legal fraternity to take advantage of the memorandum of understanding with UTAMU to acquire the required digital skills.

“I believe digital transformation will create efficiency. We must build capacity. Every profession is embracing technology. As members of the bar (advocates), we must be open to learning. I call upon all members of the legal fraternity to embrace this opportunity. Let us move with the world,” Asiimwe said.

Asiimwe commended Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, the chairperson of the UTAMU board of directors, for partnering with the ULS, a self-financed entity, to promote digital transformation within the legal fraternity.

“This partnership is in line with section 3 of the ULS Act, and it is for the benefit of our members. There is no better way of putting our members first. These are opportunities that our members should take advantage of to enhance their skills in technology,” Asiimwe said.

Baryamureeba explained that the memorandum of understanding focuses on capacity building and development because ULS members need continuous legal education, but some of the training may not be in the area of law.

“We intend to equip them with the digital skills to enable them to use the computers, internet and to access databases efficiently. In this era of Artificial Intelligence (AI) if you go across the world, like in the United Kingdom, they are even training their civil servants on the use of AI. So, they are using AI in their day-to-day work. So, for lawyers, most of the things they do, like research and case management, AI can help them,” Baryamureeba said.

Baryamureeba said UTAMU has been engaged in executing commissioned research for the government and that the memorandum of understanding with ULS will help them when it comes to legal research projects.

“For us, we are consultants; we do research for the government. There is an element of commissioned research. So, when it comes to legal research, we can work with ULS, and this will enable every member of ULS to benefit in the long run, especially those in remote areas,” Baryamureeba said.

Baryamureeba said they also intend to partner with ULS for community outreaches, given that it has members scattered across the country.

“Our goal is to ensure that 99% of the members of ULS have gone through our training and have benefited. We shall have funds coming from different partners to execute the projects that create impact in communities,” Baryamureeba said.

Underscoring the importance of the partnership, Baryamureeba said ULS has a mandate, but it has been lacking partners.

Baryamureeba said UTAMU also intends to sign a similar memorandum of understanding with the judiciary so that it is not left behind when it comes to digital skills and AI.

ULS chief executive officer Christine Awori said the memorandum of understanding with UTAMU is not just an agreement on paper but a visionary partnership that will drive innovation, learning and capacity building in the legal sector.

“This moment is a defining milestone in our profession’s journey into the digital age,” Awori said. She commended ULS president Isaac Ssemakadde for sealing the deal.

Speaking remotely, Ssemakadde said the memorandum is part of the radical shift from analogue to the digital world by ULS.

“Our members lack motivation; give them motivation,” Ssemakadde told Baryamureeba.