When the Lawtomation Centre was conceived, the AI Act was still a proposal. The Digital Services Act was a draft. The Platform Work Directive was a conversation. Today, these instruments form part of a dense and far-reaching legal architecture that Europe and the world are now learning, for the first time, to actually enforce. That shift is precisely what brings us here.
This year’s theme — Redesigning Law in the AI Age: From Legacy to Legitimacy — reflects a moment of genuine inflection. Law is no longer simply catching up with technology. It is being tested by it. Norms are being translated into standards, operationalised through compliance frameworks, litigated before courts and embedded in technical and organisational architectures. The question is no longer only how much law is needed, but whether better-designed and more effectively enforced law can achieve more.
The regulatory wave of the early 2020s is giving way to something more difficult: implementation, recalibration, and the pressure to simplify without hollowing out rights. Algorithmic management is reshaping work. Content moderation is exposing the limits of scale. Semi-autonomous weapons are blurring accountability. Supply chains and critical infrastructures are caught in geopolitical rivalry. And AI continues to act as a stress test for legal theories and practices that were designed for slower, more predictable environments.
This is the terrain we want to explore: rigorously, comparatively, and without pretending the answers are simple.
Panel format and conference details
The conference will be held fully in person to make the most of this vibrant event.
Presentations will be organized into chaired panels, and each participant will have 10-15 minutes (no more than 10 minutes if there are five participants), followed by a Q&A.
The fully formed panels are indicated in the orange rows above.
Selected authors are invited to submit a draft (full paper, extended abstract or visual presentation) by Monday, 21 September 2026, for circulation among the speakers and panel chairs (who will act as discussants). There are no specific format guidelines or style requirements.
All classrooms are equipped with a screen. If you wish to use PPT or other visual aids, please send them to Carla.Viezma@ie.edu
Publication arrangements will be finalized at the end of the conference. Submissions will be considered for inclusion in a special edition of a DigiBook dedicated to Lawtomation, developed in partnership with DigiCon and subject to the standard review process. If you are interested in being considered for publication, please contact Francesca.Palmiotto@ie.edu to express your interest.
Practical information
The conference will take place in Madrid, Spain, at the IE Tower (also known as CALEIDO), located on Paseo de la Castellana 259E, 28046 Madrid. Directions can be found here.
Metro | The closest Station is Begoña (Line 10). After you get off the train, follow the exit signs leading to Cuatro Torres Business Area. Once on the street, walk toward the skyscrapers and look for the tower with the IE logo.
⚠️ Note: Line 10 is currently affected by works at Santiago Bernabéu station, with Cuzco–Nuevos Ministerios remaining closed through the end of 2026. If you are coming from the south (city center), take Line 10 to Plaza de Castilla (or use the free replacement bus/reinforced Lines 1 or 9 if that stretch is also cut) and continue north to Begoña from there. If you are coming from the north, service to Begoña is unaffected.
Taxi & Ridesharing | If you come by taxi or ridesharing, the most convenient drop-off location is the main entrance of the Moeve Tower (formerly known as Cepsa Tower). Once there, do not enter the building. Instead, walk around the building to reach the IE Tower in less than 3 minutes.
Other Transportation | Depending on your hotel’s location, you may want to consider alternative transportation options, such as e-bikes or bus lines. Citymapper is a useful transit app for navigating around Madrid.
Once at the Tower, proceed to the reception desk to check in and for information on how to reach floor 24.
Our campus is fully accessible, but please let us know in advance if you have any special mobility needs.
A locker room has been reserved; details are available at reception.
Guests who want to attend the conference panels are invited to register through this link.
Contacts
The IE Lawtomation Days are organised by the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence for Law and Automation at IE Law School.
The organizing committee includes Antonio Aloisi, Marina Aksenova, François Delerue, Francisco de Elizalde, Marie-José Garot, Yuliya Kaspiarovich, Francesca Palmiotto, Fernando Pastor, Lazar Radic, Sara Sanchez, Sergio Verdugo and Laura Zoboli.
For questions, contact us at carla.viezma@ie.edu or Isabel.Garces@ie.edu.