The Uganda Law Society (ULS) is stepping up efforts to promote the use of digital technology among lawyers as the legal profession increasingly moves away from paper-based systems.
The move comes at a time when the Judiciary is also transitioning from manual court processes to digital systems through the Electronic Court Management Information System (ECMIS).
Under ECMIS, several court processes, including filing documents and accessing judgments and rulings, are increasingly being handled electronically, reducing the need for lawyers and litigants to move physical files and piles of paperwork.
ULS is now preparing to hold its Digital Transformation Festival on September 17 and 18, 2026, at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala.
The festival is expected to bring together lawyers, technology experts, innovators and other players in the legal sector to discuss how technology can improve the delivery of legal services.
Addressing journalists at the ULS offices in Kampala ahead of the festival, ULS Vice-President Anthony Asiimwe said lawyers need to embrace technology because the world is changing rapidly.
He said many of the clients served by lawyers, including those seeking human rights services and businesses seeking legal assistance, are already using technology extensively.
“Our clients whom we provide with our services, either for human rights or business, are far ahead of us in terms of using technology. So it is upon ourselves as legal professionals to shift from the use of manual methodology, which predominantly uses paper and files, towards online systems,” Asiimwe said.
He said digital tools could particularly help lawyers working outside Kampala by reducing unnecessary travel and making it easier for them to access and share legal information.
“We have, for instance, our colleagues who work from upcountry. This is something that can ease their work and avoid unnecessary movements,” he said.
Asiimwe also welcomed the judiciary’s introduction of ECMIS, saying the system had gradually changed the way court services are delivered.
He said digitalisation had improved efficiency and made it possible for some court proceedings and other court-related activities to be conducted virtually.
He said the experience of the Judiciary showed that technology could make legal services more accessible and efficient when properly implemented.
The ULS digital transformation programme is therefore intended to encourage lawyers to adopt similar technologies in their own practices, particularly in areas such as communication, document management, legal research and interaction with clients.
Tony Galandi Kiira, a member of ULS and an advocate with Diamond Advocates, urged lawyers to attend the festival and learn from technology innovators who will showcase different digital solutions.
Galandi said lawyers needed to understand the changing technological environment if they were to remain relevant and effectively serve their clients.
He said the festival would not be limited to Kampala, with ULS planning similar engagements in different parts of the country.
The engagements are scheduled to take place in Mbarara on September 14, Gulu on September 15 and Mbale on September 17.
The organisers said the regional engagements are intended to extend the digital transformation message to lawyers outside Kampala and encourage them to change practices that still depend heavily on physical files and manual processes.
The initiative comes as Uganda’s justice sector increasingly adopts digital systems aimed at reducing paperwork, improving access to court information and making it easier for lawyers and litigants to follow cases.
