About
Sarah Stephens serves as Associate Professor in Legal Innovation at the School of Law, Politics and Sociology, University of Sussex, where she co-deploys the Centre for Law and Technology. Appointed to the Online Procedure Rules Committee by the Lord Chancellor in 2023 and serving as trustee of the Access to Justice Foundation, she bridges academic research with systemic justice reform.
Her educational foundation includes:
- Qualified solicitor with commercial law experience at Clifford Chance, Linklaters, and Kennedys
- Master's degree in Human Rights Law
- Ph.D. candidate at the Institute of Development Studies (University of Sussex), researching technology-enabled access to justice for women in Tanzania under a SeNNS scholarship
Stephens' research pioneers technology-driven solutions for justice systems, with fieldwork spanning the UK and Tanzania. Her interventions specifically address gender-based barriers through user-centered design, digital inclusion frameworks, and scalable legal tech architectures that prioritize layperson accessibility in civil justice contexts.
Her recognition includes:
- Tech4Good-Africa Award (Comic Relief) 2021
- Santander Elevate Grant 2021
- Santander Elevate Grant 2023
- Start-Up Sussex Prize 2023
As principal consultant for UN agencies, World Bank, FCDO, and NGOs, Stephens has secured competitive funding including Santander Elevate Grants and SeNNS scholarship to develop justice technology ecosystems. Her advisory work focuses on gender-responsive legal tech implementation across Global South contexts, while directing the Centre for Law and Technology's mission to reshape legal education through technological fluency.
Stephens leads the nascent Law and Technology Centre as founding member, establishing collaborative frameworks between legal practitioners, technologists, and marginalized communities to co-design justice solutions that address systemic exclusion.
