The Legalpreneurs Sandbox

In this podcast, in CLI’s Legal Techy Tuesday Series  Nicola Shaver and Chris Ford, Co-founders at Legaltech Hub discussed global developments in legal technology and provided a demo of the Hub too. Nikki and Chris also shared insights gleaned from undertaking the research underpinning Legaltech Hub which included how to identify regional legaltech maturity, what signs indicate a region is about to boom, how to identify market opportunity and, for buyers, how to fill the capability gaps in legaltech portfolios by using Legaltech Hub. Legaltech Hub launched in October 2020. It provides a means for legal professionals across the world to easily find the legal technology tools that suit their environment. It combines a comprehensive directory of global legal technology with nuanced and powerful search functionality. Legaltech Hub allows users to search across solutions and apply filters for linguistic efficacy, jurisdiction, practice area, and target demographic. In doing this, it provides a resource for corporate in-house departments, mid-small law firms and other entities to find comprehensive lists of all solutions that specifically address their environment, and for regional lawyers to find the tools that will work in their language. Legaltech Hub also seeks to democratize legal technology by providing an equal playing field and side-by-side promotional opportunities for start-ups alongside major industry players, allowing users to discover new solutions each time they perform a search. 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, the second episode of seven in CLI’s Digital Literacy Series: Automation Mini Series, Gene Turner, Managing Director at LawHawk and Mark Tyndall, VP, Markets & Growth, APAC at Neota Logic guided us through the process of using automation to create value across your legal business. Topics covered in this episode included: how to look at the full process, and identify the business outcomes that need to be achieved; how legal automation can link multiple processes, extending across and outside the organisation; and the broader range of benefits lawyers can now deliver to their business clients using design and technology. While this episode had particular relevance to in-house legal teams, law firms will also find it helpful in identifying where they can add the most value in this joined-up world. 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.

Legal education has come under fire, been going through a transition, and inevitably will end up looking a lot different. Why? Because who, how, where and when legal services and products are delivered has changed and, continues to change, so it stands to reason that the capabilities and profile of the legal workforce needs to be changing too. While legal educators are just one part of the legal ecosystem, they’re potentially a big part of this change agenda but, it’s unlikely this agenda will pick up pace without a compelling case being made for change, or people thinking and doing differently, or educators being willing to lead and challenge the status quo – but, is that possible and/or where is that happening in our law schools (and outside our law schools in Alternative Legal Education Providers) today? To discuss all this within the context of legal education in Canada, we welcomed Aaron Baer, a Partner and the Director of Training and Development at Renno & Co AND the Co-founder of the 4L Academy to the podcast. Aaron has been an proactive thinker and doer in this space for some time and has channelled that into a new way of thinking about and delivering legal education through the 4L Academy. Topics covered in this episode included: The legal education system and process in Canada The changing emphasis in legal education from acquiring only knowledge to combining this with experience as well Who can or should lead legal education transformation How the 4L Academy is creating a new model for conceptualising and learning the business and practice of law Thanks so much for an amazing discussion, Aaron and congrats on leading the way in doing legal education differently!

In this podcast, the first episode of seven in CLI’s Digital Literacy Series: Automation Mini Series, Giles Thompson, Head of Growth at Avvoka and guest presenter Mark Ford, Director of Knowledge & Innovation Strategy at echo.legal guided us through the basics of legal automation. Topics covered in this episode included: What legal automation actually is (and what it isn’t) If and why you should care about it How to tell if you should launch your own automation project What your aims should be if you do embark on your own legal automation journey 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. 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.

Orrick is a global leader in innovation in the legal industry and not just at the level of process or system improvement – that’s where we see lots of legal innovation initiatives start and end – at Orrick, they are doing much, much more. They have created new enterprises, products and education opportunities, to name a few things - these collectively point to an innovative culture founded on client centricity, agility, continuous improvement and purpose. We had an amazing conversation about all of this (and lots more) with: Wendy Curtis, Chief Innovation Officer; Kate Orr, Senior Innovation Counsel; and Daryl Shetterly, Director of Orrick Analytics. Topics covered in this session included: What legal innovation is and is not A deep dive into some of Orrick’s innovation initiatives like Orrick Labs;  their tech fund; Orrick Analytics; and The Observatory The importance and use of data in legal practice The importance of multidisciplinary teams and collaboration in innovation and how these are hallmarks of innovative legal practices and critical to them How to create a culture of innovation Whether or not an innovative mindset is a case of nurture or nature Why law firms should feel compelled to innovate Where legal practitioners and practices can start on their innovation and change journeys Thank you so much, Wendy, Kate and Daryl for leading by example and contributing so significantly to creating a new, different and better legal industry!

Bolter is a start-up law firm brought to life by Clifford Gouldson Lawyers and led by Ben Gouldson. 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 Ben about: The variety of solutions and pricing structures the firm offers to help navigate the maze of forms, contracts and questions that new businesses encounter when they are starting out How the Bolter team applies its understanding of the unique challenges of building a start-up or small business from the ground up, to provide a better way for clients to engage with lawyers The advantages and disadvantages of establishing a disruptive business unit or initiative in a law firm If it is possible for work to flow from a more traditional practice to a disruptive business entity and vice versa The importance of experimentation, continuous improvement, listening, an open mindset, encouraging and including different thinking, and being future focused in legal transformation How more traditional law firms can expand the lessons learned from their disruptive businesses to transform all aspects of all businesses Ben, thanks so much for an amazing session – the work you're doing is a fabulous example of innovative legal practice in action! 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 Women Legalpreneurs Special Interest Group with a panel discussion on “Thinking Like a Founder – Nature or Nurture?” The session was facilitated by the Centre’s Executive Director Terri Mottershead, and brought together seven outstanding women working in the legal ecosystem in Australia. The panellists shared their backgrounds and experience about what it takes to conceive, develop and run a legal business today - the experiments, failures and successes.  They also discussed the importance and power of things like collaboration, empathy, listening, curiosity, resilience, well-being, diversity, inclusion, equity, and the role these play in great decision making and transformative leadership. The panel comprised: Genevieve Collins, Chief Executive Partner, Lander & Rogers Fiona Craig, Founder, Fiona Craig Consulting Sacha Kirk, Co-Founder & CMO, Lawcadia Riz McDonald, Founder and Director, Foundd Legal Schellie-Jayne Price, Inaugural Chair of ACC Legal Technology Committee; Senior Legal Counsel at Chevron Australia Sarah Rey, Founder and Managing Partner, Justitia Lawyers and Consultants Caryn Sandler, Partner + Chief Knowledge and Innovation Officer, Gilbert + Tobin Topics discussed included: The meaning of the term “Founder” The importance of recognising and running with business opportunities How to overcome business challenges Separating hype from reality – the real opportunities offered by tech for legal businesses today The importance of networks, relationship building, and strong personal connections in building a business The answer to the question…is it nature or nurture? 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 the legal world, the delivery of services and products is no longer a single profession pursuit (if it ever was) – it’s too complex and the depth and breadth of client and employee needs and expectations too extensive to expect any one human to do it all! That aspect, the people bit, remains unchanged and has been emphasised even more with the advances in tech and AI. Having noted that, there are still many questions to be asked and answered about multidisciplinary teams in law firms and that’s where our guest for this podcast, Sarah El-Atm, General Manager at August, comes in. Sarah spent the past 12 months as a CLI Distinguished Fellow investigating answers to these questions (and many more)  -  we chatted about her experience as a Fellow too. Topics discussed in this episode included: Can multidisciplinary teams ever truly form and be successful in the legal world? Are their discernible characteristics for successful multidisciplinary teams in law firms? If so, what are they?  What’s holding the legal world back from understanding the benefits of a multidisciplinary team and embracing them in their workplaces? What are the benefits for law firms of multidisciplinary teams? Where do we start in developing and engaging a high performing multidisciplinary team? Congrats on completing your Fellowship, Sarah – there’s no doubt your amazing work will move the needle forward in a hugely important area!

With many of our guests we’ve discussed how technology is driving change at a pace that is as overwhelming as it is pervasive. We no longer work or live the same way we used to - change is challenging and shaking the foundations of who we are and what we do. These are big and small questions. They are as frightening as they are exhilarating. In this episode we discussed Professor Gillian Hadfield’s ground breaking work in identifying and finding answers to these questions (and many more). Her most recent book, Rules for a Flat World: Why Humans Invented Law and How to Reinvent It for a Complex Global Economy, is a case in point. Gillian is  the Schwartz Reisman Chair in Technology and Society, Professor of Law and Professor of Strategic Management. She is also the Director of the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law. Topics discussed in this episode included: What’s is AI, really? How is the interdependence/co-dependence of humans and tech/AI changing and shaping a different set of questions to answer? What is the role of and how do we build or maintain the rule of law? Should we? How can a legal system, in many countries built on precedents, an adversarial approach to dispute resolution and risk aversion, stay relevant and protect consumers when the structure and rules it was built on are being challenged and redefined daily? Can we find answers to the big and small questions other than through inter or multidisciplinary collaboration? In our world today, how do we understand and manage all this complexity? What is the role of lawyers in all of this? Thank you so much for an exhilarating discussion, Gillian  – we love your work!

Tech and data are shaping and driving service and product purchases all around us. Client/customer expectations are increasingly based on their best purchasing experience everywhere, for every service/product, in every industry. Failing to embrace this reality and the increased competition from those inside and outside the legal industry points to a grim future for those in legal practice but, it doesn’t have to be a worst case scenario…. That’s where our guest, Rudi Kesic, CEO of Advantage Consulting, comes in. A lawyer and legalpreneur based in the UK, he and his team have developed not only cutting edge and innovative legal services/products but are also paving the way for a different approach to them too – client centric, tech fuelled, and data driven! We discussed two of Rudi’s recent innovations: Lawyer365 (L365) – a legaltech platform but much more. L365 provides clients with a place to find information (documents or short bursts of free legal advice from lawyers) that helps them when they need it (on demand and outside working hours) and how they need it (using video, text, etc.). It brings lawyers into the legal problem early, and, if the client needs more in-depth assistance and the matter then falls outside the scope of the initial free engagement, L365 has introduced the client to someone who will be able to help.  From the lawyer/provider viewpoint, while they pay to be there, they also have access to all sorts of amazing data that will help them be more effective and efficient lawyers. Verify365 – an aggregation of sources of identity (personal and big data related) that not only meet UK local and soon global legal requirements, but do so in a way that focuses on client convenience, user friendly tech and a ready to access/immediately usable report too. It’s defining and redefining digital id all at the same time! We could have but didn’t stop our discussion there. We also chatted about the world of legaltech in the UK, the changing expectations of legal clients, and the challenges and opportunities for lawyers in contemporary legal practice. Thank you so much, Rudi – congrats on all you are doing to bring the law to clients – you’re a trailblazer and a true legalpreneur!