Pursuing a career in legal tech

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Pursuing a career in legal tech

• Hearsay The Legal Podcast

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Legaltech

• Legaltech is a term used to encompass a variety
  of emerging technologies and software that focus
  on improving legal services and workflow
  processes, such as algorithmic document review
  and document automation. In 2019, the sector was
  estimated to have generated USD17 billion of
  revenue worldwide, and is set to continue to
  rapidly develop in coming years due to strong
  market demand. In particular, the COVID-19
  pandemic context highlighted the need for law
  firms to be adaptable and innovative in utilising
  technologies that facilitate more efficient
  remote work. As the market grows, so too does the
  opportunity for law students and graduates to
  pursue a career in the many legal tech start-ups
  currently popping up in the market.

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• The Law Society Journal published an article in
  early 2021 identifying several up-and-coming
  Australian legal tech startups such as SettlePro,
  a financial dispute resolution platform targeted
  for family law disputes, Smarter Drafter, a legal
  tech company that automates the drafting of 96
  different types of documents, and CheckBox, which
  offers a user-friendly platform where firms can
  design their own workflows and documents for
  automation.

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• Although legal tech startups and teams are
  booming, Lawyers Weekly published an article in
  March 2021, titled Legal tech is booming, but
  where are the grads? highlighting the lack of
  clear career pathways for law students to follow
  for a career in legal technology. Whilst
  clerkships and grad programs have been perfected
  and streamlined by firms across the country for
  years, legal tech companies are not currently
  investing the same efforts into educating the
  future workforce. Sam Flynn, co-founder of Josef,
  a Melbourne-based legal tech company that offers
  automation services for legal services and
  documents, writes that students being deprived
  of choice and a valuable career pathwaymeans
  poorer long-term outcomes for both the legal and
  legal tech industry.

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• Another recruitment factor to consider in the
  current state of the legal tech industry is that
  tech generally is still an overwhelmingly
  male-dominated sector, with Googles 2020
  diversity report recording that almost 70 of
  their employees were men, and 50 of all
  employees were white in their U.S. positions.
  Professionals Australia published a report
  Techs Woman Problem in 2019, discussing key
  issues for women in the tech industry, including
  lack of clarity around, and support for, career
  progression opportunities. While tech may still
  be facing significant issues with gender
  diversity, the Law Society of NSW publicly
  announced in July 2021 that for the first time
  ever, there were more female solicitors than male
  solicitors in every state and territory in
  Australia. As the legal tech market continues to
  develop, hopefully their diversity initiatives
  and career pathways do too.

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• To hear from an industry expert about their own
  experience pursuing a career in legal tech,
  listen to Episode 22 of Hearsay, An Unplanned
  Career in Legal Tech with Wenee Yap, founder of
  Survive Law, Bottled Law, and Chief Marketing
  Officer at ExpertsDirect.