The Legalpreneurs Sandbox

In this podcast, Caryn Sandler, Partner + Chief Knowledge and Innovation Officer at Gilbert + Tobin, shared her significant experience in taking numerous legal innovation projects from conception through to implementation and, everything in between! Topics covered included: Guiding your projects with an innovation pipeline How do ideas enter your innovation pipeline? Managing your innovation pipeline with guardrails to keep you on track; and Prioritising the right projects through your innovation pipeline. If you would prefer to watch rather than listen to this session, you’ll find the video in our CLI-Collaborate (CLIC) free resource hub here.

Alternative legal careers in innovation and legaltech – are they still alternative or have they become mainstream? And how, if at all, is the evolution of new and different career opportunities reflecting a permanent change to the business and practice of law? In this podcast, we explored these questions and many more with our guest Kerry Westland, a Partner with Addleshaw Goddard in the UK and the lead for its Innovation and Legaltech function. Addleshaw Goddard have been doing some amazing things in the careers in innovation and legaltech space, not least of which is its recently launched Innovation & Legal Technology Graduate Scheme, we chatted about that too. Topics discussed included: The new BAU in law firms – what it is and what it isn’t The new, different and emerging role of multidisciplinary teams in legal practice The role and career path of Legal Technologists at Addleshaw Goddard How and why the Addleshaw Goddard Innovation & Legal Technology Graduate Scheme is breaking new ground The new war for legal talent – it’s not just about lawyers anymore! How new mindsets are supporting the development of new capabilities and an innovation focussed culture in contemporary law firms How legaltech and innovation continue to reshape the practice of law in the UK Thank you Kerry for an amazing discussion and congrats again on the launch of the Innovation & Legal Technology Graduate Scheme – fabulous!

In this podcast, a session in our Women Legalpreneurs Special Interest Group 2021/22 series, Terri Mottershead, Executive Director, Centre for Legal Innovation (Australia, New Zealand and Asia- Pacific) facilitated a panel discussion that explored all things tech for digital legal businesses! This super practical and candid session started by exploring if you need tech at all, then moved on to discuss questions you should ask of vendors; how to make the best choices for your law firm or in-house legal department or consultancy; how you should approach tech purchases from identifying the right requirements through to connecting new tech with legacy tech, your systems, your business strategy and, managing the change management piece in all of this too! Terri was joined by a unique panel of legal, tech and knowledge practitioners and gurus from law firms, in-house, tech and legal consultancies: Sylvia Hands, Head of Legal, Medibank Private Ltd Katherine King, Chief Executive Officer/Dazychain Co-Founder, Yarris Technologies Fiona McLay, Principal Lawyer & Consultant, McLay Legal and CLI Legalpreneurs Lab Geeky Guru Nikki Shaver, Co-founder, Legaltech Hub If you would prefer to watch rather than listen to this session, you’ll find the video in our CLI-Collaborate (CLIC) free resource hub here. Additional Resources Dr Katherine King (Dazychain), The 5 steps to choosing legal tech is available here. Fiona McLay: Reinvent Legal Business Series: Getting Started with Legal Tech Projects is available here Tech Talks: Tech tools that changed my legal world – Session one is available here Tech Talks: Tech tools that changed my legal world – Session two is available here For members of the Legalpreneurs Lab, don’t forget Fiona is also a Geeky Guru and available to consult with you Nikki Shaver, Legal Techy Tuesday Series: Global Developments in Legal Technology with Legaltech Hub is available to Watch Here and Listen Here In-house lawyers might like to connect with the Legal Technology and Innovation Committee of the Association of Corporate Counsel Australia.

In this podcast, a session in our ReinventED Legal Business: The Case Studies series, Terri Mottershead, Executive Director, Centre for Legal Innovation (Australia, New Zealand and Asia-Pacific) chatted with Bronwyn Eynon-Lewis and Allison Warburton, Co-founders and Gemma Cawrey, Business and Content Developer from Lacuna Legal Providers. In March 2019, Allison and Bronwyn launched Lacuna to help lawyers outsource business and operational services and allow them to focus on what they do best – delivering legal advice. Lacuna’s services comprise a full suite of essential marketing, business development, management and business administration offerings including growing your client base, executive coaching, guidance for starting and building a law firm, referrals and network development, bids and proposals, and personal and business profiling. Lacuna offers a flexible and transparent subscription model for a fixed fee and on an as needed month to month basis. Lacuna supports lawyers through all seasons of their lives and supports them in maintaining careers, retaining their skills, developing and keeping key client relationships. This all helps to keep their options open to a variety of possibilities for the future. A participant in CLI’s Inaugural Innovation Incubator 2020/21, Lacuna was also a finalist for Innovator of the Year (Firm) at Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards in 2020 and a finalist for Innovator of the Year (Company) at the Australian Law Awards in 2020 and 2021. Bronwyn, Allison and Gemma, thanks so much for so candidly sharing your insights and experience – wonderful to see dreams turn into reality through resilience, perseverance and the support and friendship of amazing colleagues! If you would prefer to watch rather than listen to this session, you’ll find the video in our CLI-Collaborate (CLIC) free resource hub here.

Digital learning – sounds exciting, maybe a little scary, but it’s definitely already here and thriving no matter how we feel about it! In this podcast we explored the world of digital legal learning with our guest Ian Nelson. Ian together with Chris Wedgeworth Co-founded Hotshot, a digital learning platform focussed on teaching practical legal and professional skills to legal professionals. Ian has lived and breathed digital learning in the legal ecosystem for more than two decades. He and Chris built Hotshot from the ground up, based on a deep understanding of the legal industry coupled with a passion and love of legal education. It’s this history and approach that has earnt them both well-deserved global reputations for thinking out of the box, applying user centred design to Hotshot’s products, and building collaborative partnerships that provide just in time legal education. Topics we discussed included: What digital learning is and is not (with some help from Wikipedia) How digital learning has become a catalyst, a bridge, and blurred the siloed approach (academic, practical and ongoing) to legal learning The new and emerging role of digital learning from knowledge and skill transfer to changing mindsets and supporting business agility, collaboration and a deepening of internal and client relationships Where digital learning is happening and how it’s rolling out in law schools, law firms and legaltech fuelled platforms What to expect from and with digital legal learning in the next few years Ian, thanks so much for leading the way and doing legal learning differently, the digital way – we love your work, it’s amazing!

Legal education is being redefined in just about every place it’s happening and its moving VERY fast in the on demand space. The catalysts are many and varied – they range from wanting legal education like we want everything else – on our phone, anytime and anywhere – to new, innovative, and more convenient ways for clients to comply, and report on their compliance with, regulation based education mandates. It’s this piece – legal education providers working, collaborating and delivering differently in the on demand space – that we focus on in this podcast with our guest Steve Gluckman, CEO and Founder of Skillburst Interactive. Steve’s deep history in legal education and his ground breaking work in the on demand learning space provided a rich history, reality check, case studies and the opportunity to discuss where on demand learning might go next in the legal industry. Topics we discussed included: What on demand learning is (and isn’t) How the on demand learning space has changed…a lot! How the pandemic has impacted and accelerated on demand learning Where the legal industry is placed compared with other industries in this space How the role of on demand learning is being reimagined inside and outside law firms How new ways to learn have turned into new revenue streams for law firms The role of law firms as alternative legal education providers How on demand learning is being used in education related industry compliance How this space will continue to change over the next few years Steve, thanks so much for continuing to redefine and shape the future of on demand learning – amazing!

In this podcast, the third episode of seven in CLI’s Digital Literacy Series: Automation Mini Series, Tom Dreyfus, CEO and Co-founder from Josef asked and, together with his guests answered, the question for legal practitioners  – “What should I automate?” Tom was joined by guests Anna Golovsky, Executive Manager, Legal and Company Secretariat Operations from IAG and Gary Adler, Chief Digital Officer from MinterEllison - legal operations and digital gurus - who shared their experience, provided practical tips and case studies from their automation journeys from in-house legal departments and law firms. Topics covered in the session included: identifying automation opportunities in your day-to-day work process mapping to isolate sticking points as you move forward analysing successful case studies for experience sharing and inspiration as you progress (analogous inspiration) the importance of identifying and addressing definitions, team, scope, transparency, challenges and obstacles emerging areas of legal automation: automated guidance or legal advice; document automation; workflow & process automation; intake & triage tools; and education & inspiration how to get everyone (inside and outside your legal business) involved, energised and focussed on automation (and more broadly, innovation) This mini series brings together a unique collaboration of leading legal automation specialists who will address a number of different but related topics in legal automation. You’ll find details about the mini series and upcoming episodes here. If you would prefer to watch rather than listen to this episode, you’ll find the video in our CLI-Collaborate (CLIC) free resource hub here.

In this podcast, a session in our ReinventED Legal Business: The Case Studies series, Terri Mottershead, Executive Director, Centre for Legal Innovation (Australia, New Zealand and Asia-Pacific) chatted with Catherine O'Connell, the Principal and Founder of Catherine O'Connell Law (COCL) in Tokyo, Japan. Catherine hails from New Zealand and, as a foreign lawyer in Japan, leads a boutique law practice that provides flexible legal services to law firms, legal departments and businesses, on a project and needs-specific basis, delivered by bilingual in-house experienced lawyers - a unique legal resource in Japan - areas of focus include: Support for Japanese and foreign law firms in Japan, as well as New Zealand-based law firms Determining how, when and where a full-time, in country legal counsel might best contribute Setting up systems and workflows Localising global templates Introducing general commercial contract governance to business COCL combines bilingual capability and deep in-house counsel experience, to act as the lead on all the in-person and written contract negotiations for client’s BAU and project work. COCL is a multiple award winner in entrepreneurship, excellence and being a trailblazer. COCL also provides an Associates Academy where Japanese in-house legal staff (and law firm associates) can upskill in their English business communication skills. Catherine also recently launched her podcast, Lawyer on Air, focusing on the life and work of women lawyers in Japan. Catherine, thanks so much for an excellent session – love seeing how passion, creativity and pursuing opportunities can lead to thriving legal businesses all around the world! If you would prefer to watch rather than listen to this session, you’ll find the video in our CLI-Collaborate (CLIC) free resource hub here.

In this session, the Centre for  Legal Innovation (Australia, New Zealand and Asia- Pacific) launched its Young Legalpreneurs Special Interest Group with a panel discussion on “Building the Next Legal Practice – Yes, YOU Can!” The session was facilitated by the Centre’s Executive Director, Terri Mottershead, and brought together six intrapreneurs, entrepreneurs – all of whom are legalpreneurs, who discussed how they have taken their ideas, experiences, different approaches, different mindsets and focussed on what matters most to them and built the next legal practice, their way! Terri was joined by: Elizabeth Aitken, Partner and National Head of Workplace Relations & Safety, SLF Lawyers Sheetal Deo, Principal, Shakti Legal Solutions Tom Dreyfus, CEO and Co-founder, Josef Perveen Maan, Legal Counsel, LOD; Co-Founder & Director, Anika Legal Simon Playford, Lawyer, Law Squared Dennae Smith, Analyst, Government Affairs and Public Policy, Asia, Microsoft Topics discussed included: The differences between traditional and the next legal practice. How the legal marketplace is changing. How early career professionals can identify and pursue opportunities. The importance of knowing your strengths and playing to them. The new, different and emerging capabilities for the next legal practice (and why they matter). How early career professionals can effect change. The next or first step on the path to building your legal practice, your way! Thank you so much Elizabeth, Sheetal, Tom, Perveen, Simon and Dennae for an outstanding and inspiring session!

We’re approaching that point in legal innovation and tech adoption where we can pause, think about the contemporary legal market place, ask and answer some critical questions.  There are few people whose experience in, understanding of, and dedication to legal practice, makes what they have to say important – important because they know what works, what doesn’t, what change needs to happen and why…but more, they’re committed to making “different” work not just to be different but because it’s essential for lawyers to remain relevant…..one of them is Christina Blacklaws, Managing Director, Blacklaws Consulting and former President of the Law Society of England & Wales. In this episode, we discussed how the legal ecosystem is transforming in the UK and why. It’s a jurisdiction where doing legal practice differently has been at the forefront of a change agenda for a decade or more. There’s lessons to learn, reasons to understand, and the benefit of hindsight, as similar transformation takes hold around the world. Topics we discussed included: The work of LawtechUK and the Legal Schema Project in showcasing legaltech and innovation in the UK (and beyond) Who or what is driving the legal change agenda in the UK and why it is different The changing focus, depth and breadth of regulation of legal practices and practitioners The transformation of legal services and products - globally If law schools are doing enough to prepare the next generation of lawyers for contemporary legal practice The role of diversity, equity and inclusion in legal innovation Inspiring from the start to the end - thanks so much, Christina – you do amazing work with amazing dedication and YOU are an amazing human!   Resource: The Technology and Innovation in Legal Services: Final Report for the Solicitors Regulation Authority (2021) referred to in this episode can be found here.