Applications open

hack
the

The first Legal Hackathon at the University of St. Gallen. Build AI-powered solutions for real legal challenges in 24 nonstop hours.

$ hackathon --date "Nov 7-8, 2026"
$ hackathon --venue "Rosenbergstrasse 30, St. Gallen"
$ hackathon --duration 24h --teams "up to 4"
$ hackathon --stack "AI, LLMs, Legal Tech, NLP"
$ hackathon --cost free --food included
register() → join discord
0hNonstop hacking
0Spots — first come, first served
100%Fun guaranteed
0+Challenge tracks
--Days
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--Hours
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// about

Why a legal hackathon?

AI is transforming every industry. But the legal sector needs more than off-the-shelf tools — it needs precision, ethics, and domain expertise.

Problem

Innovation gap

Legal work demands more than just speed; it requires precision, domain expertise, and accountability to handle complex nuances. Specialized solutions co-developed between law and tech folks are thus needed.

Solution

24h sandbox

Legal expertise meets engineering in a risk-free environment to prototype real tools using AI and LLMs.

Impact

Access to justice

Practical, ethical, and secure tools that increase efficiency and broaden access to justice for the public.


// how_it_works

Four steps to hack the law

Never done a hackathon? No problem. Here's how it works.

01

Register

Sign up on this site. Upload your CV if you want sponsor access.

02

Join Discord

Find teammates, explore challenges, and get hyped before the event.

03

Show up

Arrive Saturday 10:00. Pick a challenge. Form your team. Get ready.

04

Hack for 24h

Build, prototype, pitch. The best teams win prizes and recognition.


// challenges

Challenge tracks

Each sponsor presents a real-world legal-AI problem. Choose the one that excites you most. Final challenge descriptions will be announced closer to the event, they will cover these themes.

Contract analysis

AI-powered clause detection, risk scoring, and automated review.

Legal research

Smarter case law search, precedent matching, and knowledge graphs.

Access to justice

Tools that make legal services accessible to non-experts.

Legal design

Human-centered interfaces for legal documents and processes.

Efficient processes

Optimizing legal and justice operations — reducing delays, cutting costs, improving access to courts and legal services.

Regulatory intelligence

Monitoring, analyzing, and implementing new laws and regulations at speed — helping firms stay compliant and competitive.


// schedule

Two days. One mission.

Hacking from Saturday 12:00 to Sunday 12:00. Plus opening, pitches, and awards.

Sat Nov 7
10:00Arrival & registration
Badge pickup, welcome coffee & pastries
10:30Opening ceremony
Welcome, rules, code of conduct
11:00Challenge presentations & tech talks
Sponsors present their challenges
12:00Hacking starts!
24h countdown begins. Lunch served. We have fuel to keep you going all day and night.
19:00Dinner
Hot meal
22:00Night station opens
Sandwiches, energy drinks, coffee until 06:00
Sun Nov 8
07:00Breakfast
Pastries, yogurt, coffee
12:00Hacking ends — code freeze
Submit your projects
12:00Pitches to jury panels
3 min per team, parallel stations (until 14:00)
14:30Final presentations
Best teams present to full audience
15:00Awards & closing
Prizes, closing remarks, group photo
15:30Closing apero
Drinks & networking

// prizes

What you can win

Prizes across multiple categories — details to be announced once sponsors are confirmed.

1st

Grand prize

To be announced — featured in sponsor communications and beyond

2nd

Runner-up

To be announced

3rd

Third place

To be announced

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Best Legal Design

Special category: most user-centered, accessible solution


// sponsors

Made possible by

Proudly supported by leading institutions in law and innovation.

Interested in sponsoring? Sponsorship Package · legal-hackathon@unisg.ch


// partners

Our organizers and partners

Academic and civic partners who help make this event possible.


// why_join

What's in it for you?

Build something real

Idea to working prototype in 24 hours. No slides — code, creativity, collaboration.

Meet the industry

Law firms, legal tech companies, AI builders. Sponsor booths and mentoring all weekend.

Boost your career

Opt in to share your CV with sponsors — direct pipeline to internships and jobs in legal tech.

24h fuel station

All meals, snacks, and energy drinks provided. Red Bull, Focuswater, Zweifel — the works.

Learn & grow

Workshops, tech talks, and hands-on experience with cutting-edge AI tools in a legal context.


// location

Find us

University of St. Gallen

Rosenbergstrasse 30, 9000 St. Gallen

Switzerland

Large collaboration spaces, fast Wi-Fi, 24h access. All meals served on-site.


// faq

Frequently asked questions

Not necessarily. Teams need a mix of legal knowledge, technical skills, and design thinking. We actively encourage interdisciplinary participation — some of the best hackathon ideas come from non-coders.

Absolutely. Join our Discord server to find teammates before the event, or form a team during the opening session on Saturday morning.

Your laptop, charger, and any tools or hardware you want to use. We provide food, drinks, Wi-Fi, and power. Bring a sleeping bag if you plan to nap overnight.

All IP remains with the participants. You own everything you build during the hackathon.

No. This event is completely free thanks to our generous sponsors — please give them a big thank you!

Only if you explicitly opt in during registration. You choose whether your CV is visible to event sponsors.

Unfortunately, no. The hackathon is not yet open for students outside the University of St. Gallen. Email us to convince the sponsors and us to include you nonetheless.

Challenge details will be published on this website and our Discord once sponsors have finalised their tracks. Follow us for updates.

Participants may use any tools and resources available to them.

We encourage the development of new ideas at the hackathon. However, existing ideas may also be further developed within the challenge. We rely on your transparency and honesty in this regard!

It is possible to stay overnight at the hackathon. However, we do not provide any sleeping infrastructure, so you will need to bring your own sleeping bag or mat.

Ready to hack the law?

Spots are limited to 100. Secure yours now.

register() →

Registration includes optional CV upload for sponsor access