AI in Practice: What Are Firms Actually Doing? – Adelaide Panel Lunch
Members and eligible non-members only
Adelaide, South Australia
24 November 2026
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm ACDT
The College of Law, Level 9, 19 Grenfell St Adelaide,
Adelaide, South Australia
1 hrs
Robert Chalmers
Rowan Willson
Alison Laird
| Topic | Leadership, Operational Management, Technology & Knowledge | |
| Type | Seminar | |
| CPD | 1 - Practice Management and Business Skills | |
| Pricing | Free |
| Full Member | Free |
| Online Member | AUD $39.50 |
| Affiliate | Free |
| Associate Member | AUD $39.50 |
Current Supporting Partners - Free (Contact us for assistance)
Non-members must be eligible for alpma membership to attend.
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Presented by
Robert Chalmers, Flinders University
Rowan Willson, Denis Law
Alison Laird, Centre for Legal Innovation, Australia
AI is everywhere in the legal conversation, but what are firms actually implementing, and how are they making it work?
Join us over lunch for a practical panel discussion cutting through the hype to explore how small, medium and large Adelaide firms are putting AI into practice. Joined by Alison Laird from the Centre for Legal Innovation and Rowan Willson, Denis Law and Robert Chalmers from Flinders University, our panel will unpack the hottest AI topics facing law firms right now, from choosing the right tools and managing risk to bringing your people along for the journey.
Designed for Practice Managers, Operations and IT leads, and the professionals who keep legal practices running, this session focuses on the real-world practicalities of AI adoption, with plenty of time for questions and discussion.
Come along to hear what's working, what's not, and connect with your local legal community.
Presented by
Robert Chalmers
Senior Lecturer at Flinders University
Now a Senior Lecturer at Flinders University, Rob has worked as a lawyer, educator, manager, company director and commercial advisor across a broad range of fields including defence, agriculture and health. He has special depth in intellectual property, technology and commercialisation and is particularly interested in the interplay between technology, society and regulation. Rob has studied computer science and worked on the commercial aspects of a number of AI projects, including acting as a director on an AI startup. He has submitted to a number of State and Federal government consultations on AI, and was cited in the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Emerging Technologies report.
Rowan Willson
Co-founder & Lead Developer at Denis Law
Rowan grew up on a farm on Kangaroo Island before joining the Royal Australian Air Force, where he spent 14 years as a pilot flying the P3 Orion maritime aircraft. His service included three deployments to the Middle East — supporting operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as counter-piracy missions — and involvement in several high-profile media events. He’s especially proud of his work on search and rescue missions along Australia’s northern coast in the early 2010s. He rounded out his Air Force career as an instructor, including teaching the instructor course.
In 2009, while still serving, Rowan began developing tools for pilots on the side — including OzRunways, an iPad navigation and documentation app that grew to serve around 30,000 pilots worldwide. He ran the company for 15 years, building a team of 20 employees, before selling it to Boeing in 2024.
Along the way, Rowan also found time to learn to fly helicopters, briefly working as a helicopter instructor and once flying a helicopter from the UK to Darwin.
In 2026, Rowan joined Dennis Law, AI research agent.
Alison Laird
Director of Innovation at Centre for Legal Innovation, Australia
Alison Laird advises, guides, and assists law departments and law firms with innovative, data-driven initiatives that leverage technology, process optimisation, operational transformation, and change management to achieve lasting and impactful competitive, business, and strategic advantage.
A pioneering figure in and frequent author on innovation in legal operations, Alison’s more than two decades of private and public sector experience includes her work as Director of Legal Innovation at CLI, Pinsent Mason’s Head of Innovation and Legal Delivery, APAC and DLA Piper’s International Director of Implementation. Along with her extensive record of optimising legal service delivery, enhancing productivity, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, Alison is an Advisory Board Member for the Centre for Legal Innovation and an emeritus Teaching Fellow at Australia’s College of Law.
Alison holds an MBA from the University of Melbourne and has advanced certifications in change management and business analytics from Prosci, the Australian Institute of Management, The Wharton School, and the Queensland University of Technology.
