Legal Tech Challenge: ‘With a clear idea, what first felt daunting became surprisingly feasible’
The Legal Tech Challenge 2026 kicks off on 5 February. Ishana Bhadai, Lizzy Streng and Jonathan Scholten van den Belt were last year’s winners. Here, they share their experiences stepping up to the challenge.
Can you tell us about your project/solution and why this fitted the challenge?
Ishana: Our idea BenefitCheck is a web app that gives users information about allowances and social benefits they might be entitled to. By asking a few simple questions, the app makes the complex regulatory landscape accessible and clear.
Jonathan: Our idea was a good fit because BenefitCheck shows how legal tech can help to improve access to justice and narrow the gap between legislation and users.
What surprised you most about the challenge?
Lizzy: The most surprising thing was how quickly our idea developed from a mere sketch to a concrete, workable concept. It also led to a pitch at the Pels Rijcken ImpactFest, where we spoke with specialists and fellow entrepreneurs.
How did the challenge help you discover or develop new skills?
Jonathan: It helped us combine legal thinking with creative and solution-oriented work. The entrepreneurial workshops also helped us as law students to think about problems from a new perspective – that was very useful and interesting.
Legal Tech Challenge
This competition gives students the opportunity to discover new ways to apply technology to legal issues. You work together with organisations, put your solutions directly into practice, and develop valuable practical skills. Not only that, there are cash prizes of up to €3000 to be won!
Students from Leiden University, Hogeschool Leiden and MBO Rijnland collaborate to tackle real-world challenges and develop digital solutions that transform and enhance legal services. The goal is simple: to ensure the legal world keeps pace with technology, but remains focused on the user.
What did you enjoy most about working in a team, and did you notice that other participants offered different perspectives?
Ishana: As international students were part of the team (and are part of the actual target group), they were able to test the app immediately and provide feedback from a user perspective. The collaboration was even more valuable because each team member brought different knowledge and perspectives to the table.
What tip would you give students who are hesitant about taking part in the next Legal Tech Challenge?
Lizzy: Just do it! It’s a great way to meet other students. You don't necessarily have to have a technical background, but it does help of course. Legal knowledge and critical thinking are the most important things, and the Legal Tech Challenge is an easy way to discover that!
How much did you know about legal tech beforehand, and was the technical element intimidating for you?
Ishana: Our knowledge of legal tech was very limited before we started the challenge. Two of us did have some basic programming knowledge, but with proper guidance and using the Bubble.io tool, we were able to accomplish pretty much anything without any real programming knowledge.
Lizzy: I did find the technical aspect a bit intimidating at the beginning. Thanks to the support we received, workshops, and especially experimenting ourselves, we discovered that we could make a real difference for legal tech. With a clear idea, what first felt daunting became surprisingly feasible.
