An app that helps survivors of financial abuse to re-enter the workforce has won the 2024 UTS Allens Neota Law Tech Challenge for Social Justice. Built for the Arise Foundation, the app demystifies the employment process as it helps women write CVs and cover letters.
Hands up who likes social justice: teams and supporters of the 2024 UTS Allens Neota Law Tech Challenge for Social Justice at the Grand Final held in Building 15 on Wednesday 21 August. Image: Andy Roberts
Promoting social justice through real world impact
On a late August night in central Sydney, 19 law students grew restless as the judges retired to consider their verdict.
‘This is going to be tough,’ said Professor Anita Stuhmcke, the Dean of UTS Law. Alongside Peter Campbell from Allens and Mark Tyndall from Neota, Stuhmcke was one of the judges at the Grand Final of the 2024 UTS Allens Neota Law Tech Challenge for Social Justice. Earlier, Stuhmcke had told the audience that this event was one of the highlights of her year.
‘This challenge is unique,’ said Stuhmcke. ‘It forges the real world intersection between community organisations, student teams, mentors from Allens and Neota to create an app promoting social justice through real world impact.’
This year yielded a bumper crop of apps: an intake app to facilitate access to justice for clients of Western Sydney Community Legal Centre; a Sustainable Development Goals guide for Youthbank International; a notebook drafter for people making end-of-life plans for Tender Funerals Australia; and a drafting assistant for job seekers on behalf of the Arise Foundation.
At the grand final, the students were buzzing with nervous energy. One after another, they said the experience had been challenging, but enriching. ‘The Law Tech Challenge was by far my most rewarding experience at UTS,’ said Sophia Sher from Team Arise.
As academic lead for the program, I had seen the apps take shape over the past nine months. Following recruitment in late 2023, a rolling series of workshops with experts from Neota and Allens ran throughout 2024. After a final flurry of coding with Neota’s Kevin Mulcahy, the teams delivered their apps in August. You can try the apps for yourself.
A tough gig: judges (left to right) Mark Tyndall, Vice President of Markets and Growth APAC at Neota Logic, Professor Anita Stuhmcke, Dean of UTS Law and Peter Campbell, Head of Legal Product Lab at Allens. Image: Andy Roberts
By the time of the Grand Final, I was impressed. I was also happy I wasn’t a judge. The three judges had been allocated 15 minutes to reach a verdict. They needed longer. Finally, they returned to the room. The live audience in the UTS Startups building took their seats; globally, the live-stream audience included viewers from Ireland, Italy, Croatia, Hong Kong, the UK and the US.
‘So, now’s the time for an answer to that all-important question: who won?’ I said. ‘Actually, that’s an easy one. Social justice is the winner of the 2024 Law Tech Challenge. In fact, every client, and every student, is a winner.’
The audience applauded politely. At this point they didn’t want grandiose statements about altruism and beneficence.
Mark Tyndall, Vice President of Markets and Growth APAC at Neota, stepped up to announce four special mentions: Team Arise for ‘Harnessing technology to improve women’s lives’; Team WSCLC for ‘Streamlining access to justice for multicultural communities’; Team Youthbank for ‘Coding that advances cosmopolitanism and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals’; and Team Tender Funerals for ‘Shaping technology to help the client’s vision become reality.’
Multicultural justice: Neota Logic's Mark Tyndall with (left to right) UTS Law students Neil Mai, Eliza Lo Russo, Liberty Jacob, Teya Xia and Charlotte Ekins. Image: Andy Roberts
Tech that cares: Mark Tyndall with (left to right) students Kristie Mui, Paris Mitropoulos, Hannah Lambert and Grace Yin (Natalie Yaacoub not pictured). Image: Andy Roberts
A global vision: Mark Tyndall with (left to right) students Noah Darmenia, Melissa Dib, Maeve Callanan, Phoebe Ralston and Eliza Morgan. Image: Andy Roberts
Tyndall had been impressed with all the students’ presentations, as well as how their apps applied human-centered design principles.
Finally, Peter Campbell made the big announcement. ‘We were really impressed by the quality of the solutions that the students presented,’ said Campbell, the head of Legal Product Lab at Allens. ‘What a great outcome for all the not-for-profit partners.’
It had been a really tough decision, Campbell said, but Team Arise had won.
‘They successfully navigated the challenging journey of taking an idea and implementing it in a way that met the needs of their clients. That’s what innovation is: a change that adds value.’
The Arise team were invited onto the stage: project manager Antonia Moulos; client liaison Sophia Sher; app developer Caitlin Fichardt; and user experience developer Ariella Tracton. They were joined by their mentor from Allens, Vishaya Pracy, an alumna of UTS and previous participant in the Law Tech Challenge.
‘Our app is designed to be a writing tool, which provides the women of Arise with guidance and assistance to write a CV and cover letter themselves,’ said Fichardt. ‘I don’t believe this tool will ever be made redundant by generative artificial intelligence. I am so proud of our team and so passionate about this app.’
A winning team arises (left to right): Caroline Khalil from Arise Foundation with student Antonia Moulos, Vishaya Pracy from Allens, students Ariella Tracton, Caitlin Fichardt and Sophia Sher, and Peter Campbell from Allens. Image: Andy Roberts
The Challenge is run at UTS as part of the Brennan Justice and Leadership Program, in which students fill volunteer roles that advance both social justice and their own sense of leadership and service. Team Arise’s app follows on from the 2023 winner, which streamlined the intake process for Marrickville Legal Centre, and the 2022 winner, which helped to connect Indigenous Australians with mentors.
As in previous years, the students worked closely with Brooklyn-based Kevin Mulcahy, Vice President of Education and Community Programs at Neota.
‘The UTS students were terrific,’ Mulcahy said. ‘One student went to her job at a law firm frequently at 7am to work on her app before any of her co-workers were there. All of us at Neota are very impressed with – and appreciative of – the UTS students.’
Note: This story blends quotes obtained after the event with quotes taken from the night; my quote is taken from prepared speaking notes.
Watch a video of the 2024 Law Tech Challenge Grand Final and view a collection of photographs on the Brennan Facebook Page. UTS Law hosts Tech + Social Justice week from 9 to 13 September 2024.
For enquiries and future collaborations email the Brennan Team at brennanprogram@uts.edu.au