800 participants at the German Legal Tech Summit: The future of law!

800 participants at the German Legal Tech Summit: The future of law!

On December 4, 2025, the exhibition center in Hanover was the venue for the German Legal Tech Summit, where more than 800 trade visitors from a wide variety of areas came together. The participants included representatives from law firms, companies, administration, politics, science and legal tech startups. The patronage was taken over by Dr. Stefanie Hubig, the Federal Minister of Justice. The event was fully booked and offered a full program of exhibitions, workshops, master classes and panel discussions. Starting base reports that the focus of the summit was on artificial intelligence (AI) and the future of legal work.

Already in the opening contributions, Dr. Jochen Köckler, CEO of Deutsche Messe, Jörg Offenhausen and Dr. Benedikt Quarch from the German Legal Tech Hub describes the change in the industry. Particularly noteworthy is the keynote speech by Prof. Harald Welzer, who dealt with the automation of thinking and communication. Furthermore, it was discussed how the integration of digital tools in everyday legal life can be promoted, for example in the session “From Prompt to Daily Business”. Franca Lehfeldt moderated the main stage with flying colors.

Digitalization as a key topic

Lower Saxony's Minister of Justice Dr. In her contribution, Katrin Wahlmann called for greater digitalization in the legal system, in particular the widespread introduction of e-files. There is a big discrepancy not only in everyday legal life, but also in the legal framework. The AI ​​Report 2025 addresses the use of generative AI in the legal industry and highlights both the opportunities and challenges that these new technologies bring with them.

The report highlights that generative AI can generate content such as text, images and even videos. While this form of AI is still relatively new in the legal industry, the use of AI has generally been considered normal for several years. Law firms report positive experiences using these technologies, even if there is still skepticism in the judiciary, often due to technical problems.

Innovations in the legal sector

Innovative startups like Nenna AI, which won the 2025 pitch competition, show that new ideas and technologies are more in demand in the legal sector than ever. The company's AI-powered approach places a particular focus on data protection. This development is also reflected in the new job profiles that are emerging due to the influence of AI, such as legal engineers and AI officers.

A look at the summit's list of participants shows that companies like June, Dillitrust, BRYTER, Libra, Beck-Noxtua and Prime Legal AI are at the forefront of transforming legal processes. This includes approaches to automation and document management that can revolutionize everyday legal life.

The discussion about the future of the legal market is crucial, especially with regard to regulatory issues regarding AI use. Karsten Har Draht, general counsel at KfW, emphasized that technological support must go hand in hand with human judgment. The legal and ethical issues, particularly with regard to contract drafting and data protection, also remain crucial.

Such an event shows that change in the legal system is not only a challenge, but also represents a great opportunity for the industry and those involved. The next German Legal Tech Summit is already planned for December 2nd and 3rd, 2026 to continue the exchange about future developments.