“I am a legal technologist”
“You are a what?”
Legal Technologists thrive on change, and it is one of the most exciting fields in the legal industry today. My journey into legal technology began when I undertook a Master’s degree, LLM in Legal Practice with BPP University in Leeds. BPP offered an additional certification called “the Innovation, Design and Technology” that ran throughout the summer. After attending countless webinars, Legal Hackathons and seeing ‘Legal Tech’ plastered all over the news, I thought it was the right time to dip my toes into the word of Legal Tech. Three months after sitting for my Private Acquisition paper, I found myself learning about a collaboration tool and immediately fell in love with the idea of becoming a catalyst of change.
As with many law students, I too have embarked on the journey to become a commercial solicitor (Note 1: the decision was not influenced by Harvey Specter in any way, shape or form!) but my career took a turn after being offered the position of Legal Technologist with Norton Rose Fulbright in Newcastle.
As a law student, I have always been comfortable with the idea of conducting legal research, understanding black letter laws, and translating the knowledge I learned in the 400-seater lecture theatre to a two-page scenario-based question but this time, it was different. I found myself asking more questions than ever before to understand Legal Tech as an industry.
Lawyers are essentially our clients. Their problems are often our starting point. It is crucial to constantly check in with key stakeholders to understand how we can help them provide legal services in a more efficient and agile way.
Can we digitalise checklists?
There must be a way to automate the review of a loan agreement.
Due diligence is such a pain!
These are the kinds of questions that trigger our problem-solving skills. From document automation, to process improvement, each question and problem transforms into a solution.
I have been fortunate enough to work with inspiring lawyers and business service professionals to develop ground-breaking solutions in the legal transformation space. It is an extremely exciting field, and every day is a new day which is exactly why I am passionate about the legal tech industry and excited to be a part of a larger change.
Be curious. Ask questions. Research. Talk to all the stakeholders, but it does not necessarily need to be in that order. Do explore and have fun along the way! It is a welcoming industry with brilliant and knowledgeable people to consult. There are plenty of Legal Tech networking events and conferences out there for you to attend if you are interested to learn more about the industry. What better way to learn about the industry than to have a direct conversation with the people who run the show!
Technology might be a magic want to many, but you need to know the right spell. Technology is often the first thing that comes to mind whenever “innovation ” is mentioned but is not limited to this. Sometimes it is not about reinventing the wheel or fixating on a million-dollar tech you saw on a Youtube Ad after watching a short demo; but a simple modification might just be the ideal solution.
Being prepared to collaborate is a vital skill to master, not just in legal services, but also applicable in Legal Tech. As it is a fast-growing industry, most of the time a technologist is required to collaborate with multiple teams. This could be with internal and external stakeholders, ranging from the data and design team, lawyers specialising in practice areas as well as existing and future Vendors. Keeping an open mind with a strong desire to explore new ways of working and thinking helps.
Asking questions takes you places. Always remember, there is no such thing as a silly question. It is a fast-growing industry where the only thing that is guaranteed is change. The ‘silly’ question might lead you to the right solution. Ask away. Since there is no such thing as a “textbook” approach to the implementation of legal tech, I relied on a series of questions to navigate my way through my role as a Legal Technologist and is forecasted to continue in doing so!
Shaznee Seraj Ahmed
Legal Technologist
Norton Rose Fulbright LLP