Adding value early: how to use tech and innovation

Earlier this week F-LEX’s own Sophie Gould, Head of Learning and Development, chaired another successful virtual lunch for Paralegals, Junior Lawyers and Trainees in collaboration with  LexisNexis UK and Crafty Counsel. 

This week we teamed up with the Legal Technologist and heard from their top three nominees for the Top 10 Innovative Junior Lawyers in the UK on innovation and legal tech. Below are some of our key learnings from this week’s virtual lunch.

First up we heard from Adam Hunter, IGNITE trainee solicitor at Clifford Chance. 

• Adam’s top tip for thinking innovatively is looking to other industries to inspire innovation and inform digilitisation and change within the legal industry. 

• Adam also encouraged attendees to think efficiently and engage in discussions around innovation and legal tech to really foster an interest and start thinking about how to improve client services!

We then heard from Alex Woolley, Family Associate at Farrer & Co and Co-Founder of Access to Justice startup Formily. 

• Alex stressed the importance of keeping it simple. Legal tech isn’t exclusively about complex technologies such as AI or blockchain.

• Alex believes that getting involved in legal tech and innovation generally has the power to make you a well rounded lawyer. Alex’s creation, Formily is tied so closely to what he does day to day that it has made him think more deeply about what the client really wants and more commercially too.

Last but not least Tom Grogan, Corporate Associate at Mishcon De Reya, shared with our attendees some of the fascinating projects he has been working on.

• Tom highlighted the underlying policy considerations of emerging technologies. Of course speed and efficiency are great, but it’s important to consider the wider impact of this too!

• Tom also stressed that law firms are well positioned to pitch new and innovative ideas. Having a legal team in the background during the creation of a new technology or idea will ensure that whatever is built is compliant by design in its broadest possible manifestation.

Getting involved in legal tech and innovation can help to transform your organisation and your own career - demonstrated by our three ground-breaking guest speakers this week! A great big thank you to Adam, Alex and Tom for sharing their incredible insights and to The Legal Technologist too.

Resources from our collaborators:

Crafty Counsel - Ben White from Crafty Counsel added that the best thing you can do is think proactively - think about what you are able to solve! Below are some great videos from Crafty Counsel on innovation and legal tech.

• Don't Start with Tech - what to avoid in innovation

• Top Three Tips to being a Tech-Ready Lawyer  

• Adapt or be automated? LawTech vs. Lawyers 

• Lawyer of the Future 

LexisNexis - Lexis Nexis is also providing a Covid-19 blog discussing issues affecting both in-house and private practice, with all of the latest breaking news surrounding the pandemic, Q&As and even a Coronavirus Toolkit! You can access the blog using the following link:  Lexis Nexis UK Covid-19 Blog

Sign up for next week’s virtual lunch using the button below!