Ubaid Rehman discussed the future of legal education and legal practice at the Thomson Reuters AI and Legal Tech Forum 2026
On 13 May 2026, Thomson Reuters hosted the AI and Legal Tech Forum 2026 in Hong Kong, bringing together legal practitioners, law firm leaders, legal technology experts, and academics to discuss the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence within the legal profession. Mr Ubaid Rehman, PCLL Programme Director and Barrister-at-Law, was invited to participate as a panellist at the forum.
The event explored the growing impact of generative AI and emerging agentic AI technologies on legal practice, including their implications for law firms, in-house legal teams, legal operations, and professional training. Discussions focused on how AI is reshaping legal workflows, changing expectations of junior lawyers, and creating new opportunities and challenges for the profession.
Drawing on his experience as both a practising lawyer and legal educator, Ubaid shared perspectives on the implications of AI for legal education and professional formation. He discussed the need to prepare future lawyers for a profession in which AI-assisted work is becoming increasingly commonplace, while emphasising the continued importance of core legal skills, professional judgment, ethical reasoning, advocacy, and critical thinking.
A key theme of the discussion was the evolving role of junior lawyers. As AI tools become increasingly capable of undertaking routine drafting, research, and document review tasks, the focus of legal training may shift from the production of legal work towards the supervision, verification, and evaluation of AI-generated outputs. Ubaid highlighted the importance of ensuring that legal education continues to develop the deep analytical skills, judgment, and intellectual independence required for lawyers to thrive in an AI-enabled professional environment.
The forum provided valuable insights into the future of legal practice and reinforced the importance of ongoing dialogue between the legal profession and legal educators as both seek to respond to rapid technological change.