Managing Director, Blacklaws Consulting – Former President of the Law Society

Christina studied Jurisprudence at Oxford and qualified as a solicitor in 1991.

Christina Blacklaws is a former President of the Law Society of England and Wales, the representative body of over 150,000 solicitors.

She is an innovator in the legal field, having developed and managed one of the first ‘virtual’ law firms and set up the UK’s very first Alternative Business Structure with the Cooperative Group. She was also one of the first Directors of Innovation at a top UK firm.

She now runs her own consultancy business providing strategic advice particularly in the areas of transformational change, technological developments and diversity and inclusion.

Christina is a non-executive director for 3 large law firms and for a lawtech business specialising in resource management and provides bespoke advice to many more.

She holds a range of public appointments including chairing two UK Government bodies in lawtech- The LawTech UK Panel and Innovate UK’s Next Generation Services Advisory Group. She is a member of the Ministry of Justice’s Legal Support Advisory Group.

Christina is a thought leader in the law and technology field. She chaired a Commission which reported on the use of algorithms in the criminal justice system (https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/research/algorithm-use-in-the-criminal-justice-system-report), has had a paper published in the Royal Society’s Philosophical Transactions A (https://royalsocietypublishing.org/toc/rsta/376/2128) and lectures internationally on technology, innovation and the future of legal services. Her recent TEDx talk on algorithmic bias can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPfkhfWPIwA&feature=youtu.be

She holds a Visiting Fellowship with the University of Manchester where she supports the Business School Computer Science and Law Faculties to develop structural engagement with the legal services industry.

Christina is passionate about diversity and inclusion and is the representative for the Women Lawyers Division on the Law Society of England and Wales Council and an active member of Thomson Reuters Women in Leadership in Law Advisory Board. She also sits on the editorial board of Women Lawyers.

As President, she spearheaded the largest ever global research on women in law involving thousands of lawyers over 20 countries and resulting in three reports and a UK government backed Pledge.

Christina speaks internationally on a wide range of business, legal and ethical topics and is a multi-award winning (for innovation and diversity and inclusion) published author, lecturer and frequent media commentator.