Many lawyers are daunted by the prospect of data, process, and technology. Yet, retooling might not be that hard.
Below is a list of knowledge, skills, and technologies learned this summer by three of my 1L Indiana Law students. The catalyst was a 3½-week program at the University of Colorado Law School in May combined with 10-week paid internships (still in-progress) at legal employers who value JDs with legal ops skills.
Legal Operations Knowledge and Skills | Experience with Specific Software Technologies |
1. Process mapping | Visio PRO |
2. Document automation | Contract Express |
3. Expert systems | Neota Logic |
4. Data visualization and construction of metrics dashboards | Dundas BI |
5. Database structuring and query writing | MS Access |
6. Artificial Intelligence (AI) — various types and use cases | |
7. Open source versus proprietary software codebases | |
8. Speaking parts on calls with firm clients |
This is a lot of learning for a 1L summer program. In fact, this is just a lot of learning. Because rising 1Ls typically lack useful knowledge and experience, they are at high risk of being underemployed. Yet, therein lies the opportunity: With the right learning structure, these students can learn relatively rare and valuable skills very quickly.
Imagine the transformation of the legal industry if 20% of practicing lawyers acquired these same skills over a similarly short period of time. The primary obstacles to this outcome may be psychological rather than a shortage of time, money, or ability.
The credit for this quantum leap goes to the Tech Lawyer Accelerator (TLA) at CU Law. Originally organized by Bill Mooz as part of a practitioner-in-residence initiative funded by AccessLex Institute, the TLA is now in its fourth year. Because I played a role in its formation, a small number of Indiana Law students get to participate each year. Sometimes the dividends of our work far exceed our contributions and expectations. That certainly happened here.
Bill Mooz and I are currently working on plans to scale the TLA for the benefit of other law schools and legal employers. Stay tuned for that.
Here’s a shout-out to my wonderful students at Indiana Law and their first-rate summer employers: Ingrid Barce and Austin Brady at SeyfarthLean (part of Seyfarth Shaw); and Tony Schuering at Chapman & Cutler. Keep up the good work!
[Editor’s note: Later in 2017, the TLA became the basis for the Institute for the Future of Law Practice (IFLP, “I-flip”).
What’s next? See Honest and Informed Conversations (019)