The Institute for Law & AI is hosting the inaugural Washington and Lee Legal Hackathon on November 14–15, 2026, kicking off Saturday at 10 AM in Classroom A of Sydney Lewis Hall. Open to all W&L law and undergraduate students, this 24-hour event challenges participants to solve real problems facing law school clinics—no coding experience required.
Registration is open individually or for teams until November 7 at aiandlawinstitute.com. Participants will enjoy free food and compete for a cash prize.
Law school clinics handle massive administrative workloads—from client intake and scheduling to tracking court deadlines and drafting routine documents—often while navigating extremely limited time and resources. This event is designed to build practical, deployable systems that relieve those operational bottlenecks. If you are planning to participate, here is how the weekend will operate behind the scenes:
- The Challenge: At the start of the event, every team will receive the exact same real-world administrative problem provided by clinic directors.
- Judging Criteria: Solutions will be evaluated holistically by clinic directors and organizers. Judges prioritize practicality, ease of use, and effectiveness over technical complexity. A simple, well-executed spreadsheet automation is just as competitive as a sophisticated, custom-coded application.
- Data Privacy: Teams will exclusively use mock, fictional, or anonymized data. Absolutely no real client information or confidential case materials will be entered into any systems during the development process.
- Logistics & Flexibility: There are no caps on team size. All you need to bring is your laptop, a charger, and any software logins you might want to use. While at least one team member must be present for the initial problem announcement, participants are free to come and go as needed over the 24 hours.
Washington and Lee Legal Hackathon: Frequently Asked Questions
1. I’ve never participated in a hackathon before. What should I expect? A hackathon is simply an event where people work together over a short period to solve a problem. At the beginning, you’ll receive the challenge, and your team will work together to develop a solution using whatever tools or methods you prefer. At the end, teams will present or demonstrate their solutions for judging.
2. Do I need to know how to code? Not at all! No prior coding, technology, or hackathon experience is required. The event is open to students of all experience levels, and creative problem-solving is just as valuable as technical knowledge.
3. Will I use or receive client information? No. Participants must use mock, fictional, or appropriately anonymized data when developing and demonstrating their solutions. Real client information, confidential case materials, and other protected information should not be entered into any hackathon tools or systems.
4. What kinds of clinic problems will we work on? Every team will receive the same real-world problem faced by law school clinic directors, which will be announced at the beginning of the hackathon. Examples might include automating client intake forms, tracking court deadlines, generating routine legal documents, or organizing case status updates. The challenge will focus on a problem that can be addressed through automation or another practical technological solution.
5. Do I need to have a team? No! You can register with an existing team or sign up individually. If you register on your own, the organizers can match you with other participants so you have a team to work with.
6. Is there a limit on team size? No, there is no limit on the number of students who can participate on a team. You are welcome to put together a group of any size or register individually and be matched with others.
7. Who can participate? The hackathon is open to all Washington and Lee law students and undergraduate students, regardless of major, class year, or technical experience. Students from different academic backgrounds are encouraged to participate and collaborate.
8. Do I need to have an idea before the hackathon? No! All teams will receive the same challenge at the beginning of the event, so there is no need to prepare a specific idea beforehand. You and your teammates will have the opportunity to develop your own approach once the problem is announced.
9. What should I bring? Just yourself and whatever tools you plan to use! We recommend bringing a laptop, charger, and any school or software logins you might need. You do not need to purchase special software or equipment to participate.
10. Will there be food? Can you accommodate dietary restrictions? Yes, food will be provided during the hackathon! Specific meal options are still being determined, and we plan to provide options for participants with dietary restrictions. Please indicate any dietary restrictions or allergies when registering so we can plan accordingly.
11. Do I have to stay the whole time? Can I come and go? You do not have to stay for the entire event, and you are welcome to come and go as needed. However, we strongly encourage you to attend the initial announcement of the challenge and return for the conclusion of the hackathon. At least one member of the team must attend the announcement to receive the problem. Staying throughout the event is also a great opportunity to collaborate with other students and enjoy the food provided.
12. Do I need to attend both days? We encourage participants to be present at the beginning of both days to hear any announcements and ask questions, but physical presence throughout the hackathon is not required. You can work on your solution elsewhere if that is more convenient. We recommend returning for the final submission.
13. What do we turn in at the end? Each team will submit its proposed solution to the assigned problem, whether that is a working application, an automated process, a spreadsheet-based system, or another practical tool. Your submission should demonstrate how your solution addresses the clinic’s problem and how it would work in practice. Additional submission instructions will be provided during the event.
14. How will the solutions be evaluated? Solutions will be evaluated holistically by law school clinic directors, hackathon organizers, and other invited judges. The primary consideration will be how effectively the solution addresses the assigned problem, along with its ease of use, practicality, creativity, and potential to improve clinic operations. Technical complexity is not necessarily an advantage, and a simple solution that works well may be just as competitive as a more sophisticated one.
15. Do we need to build a fully functioning application? Not necessarily! The goal is to develop a practical solution to the assigned problem, which could take many different forms. A working prototype, useful automation, or another demonstrable solution may be appropriate, provided you can explain how it works and how it would help a clinic.
16. What is the prize, and how is it paid? There will be a cash prize for the winning team, with the amount to be announced. Prize winners will need to complete a W-9 form for tax purposes before payment can be processed, or other applicable tax documentation depending on their circumstances. The organizers will provide further instructions to the winners.
17. What tools can we use? Anything you want! You are welcome to use Microsoft Excel, Power Apps, Power Automate, ChatGPT, other AI tools, no-code platforms, traditional programming, or any other approach you think could work. The hackathon is completely open to innovation, and there are no restrictions on which tools or methods you use.
18. When and where is the hackathon? The Washington and Lee Legal Hackathon will take place on Saturday, November 14, and Sunday, November 15, 2026, in Classroom A at Sydney Lewis Hall, Washington and Lee University School of Law. The event is expected to begin on Saturday morning, with the remaining schedule to be announced.
For specific questions regarding team matching, dietary accommodations, or the event format, please reach out to organizers Dinesh Rameshbabu (dramesh@law.wlu.edu), Val Fesenko (vfesenko@law.wlu.edu), or Ryan Meleedy (rmeleedy@law.wlu.edu).
