It's Like Legally Blonde But With Tech
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It's Like Legally Blonde But With Tech

This is a story of what I expected the legal tech market to be like when I started working for ILTA ( International Legal Tech Association ) versus what I know now:

‘Legal Technologist’ can mean a lot of things and people often fall into the role by accident: 

I speak to a lot of professionals with unique roles in law firms, what I find astonishing is the lack of a common thread or path that led them to their current position – it makes me wonder, why is there so much pressure to specialise early in our career?

There is just not enough emphasis on having interests outside of work yet employers expect you to figure yourself out so early in your career –  when exactly is your journey to self -discovery supposed begin if you don't try new things? 

If you’re a law graduate who isn’t sure where exactly you fit in don’t panic! There is a lot out there and it is messy - try not to be OCD in your career,(of course if you know exactly what you want I applaud you) remember to pace yourself and play to your natural strengths: You also need to be honest with yourself, if you don’t work well with others do not put team player on your CV find a role that allows you to observe how to be one.

Lawtech or Legal Tech: Plus there is no yellow brick road?!

There is no 'approved' or orthodox way to get in to Legal Tech  and I am still not sure if we can use Lawtech and Legal Tech interchangeably as they seem to mean different things in the UK. According to the Law Society the former leans more towards how the law itself i.e justice is delivered however Legal Tech is more about disrupting how law firms work...really? I don’t know, I find Lawtech seems more academic in nature and focuses more on how the justice system attempts to catch up with technological advancements whereas Legal Tech is often presented as a commercial/business solution…

Less Suits more Mr Robot

Also being a millennial or knowing how to use a snapchat filter does not make you tech savvy but understanding how to format a contract on MS Word is a step closer in the right direction.  In a previous role I l studied how law students and lawyers research legal developments online. In my current one I engage with people who design technology to make it easier for lawyers to work or people who use technology to support what lawyers are doing. 

Both roles have taught me how diverse the market is and I am constantly fascinated by the technology solutions available: This week I had a chat with a provider who basically makes it easier for firms to transfer data (massive gigantic chunks) from one system to another. A bit like going from an Android to an iPhone - you want to save contacts , your images e.t.c but do you have the time to do it manually? Exactly. So this company provides experts who can help with this sort of project - there are some really interesting service providers in the market. So for Law graduates if you haven’t yet, don’t worry about how to define yourself - do what is necessary in the present but be prepared to explore beyond traditional law firms because the industry hasn’t really figured out job titles yet.

Law degree or other?

Neither to be honest… I think 'the school of life' triumphs. Maybe you don’t need to learn how to code or abandon the LPC but figure out what your knowledge gaps are, do you need a course or do you need to get hands on experience?  I have learnt a lot just by following tech enthusiasts on social media (but do make sure your source is credible in the industry). To  forge careers based on our skills and abilities we need to know how to identify who we are or want to be in the workplace first and I am not sure a lot of us know where to begin.

Any way I digress – my point is there is more to the legal services market than you are probably led to believe on a law degree. Legal technology can be all-encompassing or quite narrow but that’s what makes the field exciting. 

People say data set, cloud and AI..ALOT 

Don’t focus on words like cryptocurrency, blockchain e.t.c focus on who owns the system/how the software helps or how that technology is helping people get things done. Test your knowledge – will you be able to explain it to a three year old without waffling? For example – I think of  Knowledge Management teams as the Gandalf of law firms technically they have the answers (textbook): They collect the information lawyers need to work in various forms, catalogue or classify said information (templates, guidance docs etc) and make it easy to find. 

Finally legal experience is still handy it provides more context, so don’t give up the work placements yet. I am still  figuring out the big picture and what everyone does in the field so watch this space for more insights …and also don’t try to understand my job title.

Mercedes Oppon - Kusi

Community Manager - Lansweeper

4y

Thanks Beth Anne :)

Beth Anne Stuebe

Strategic Communication Professional and Content Creator

4y

Awesome work Mercedes!

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