What Is Possible Using Legal Tech?

COMMITTEE NEWS

WHAT IS POSSIBLE USING LEGAL TECH AND WHO NEEDS TO KNOW?

Birmingham Law Society Legal Technology Committee is collaborating with LawTech London to provide a series of Legal Tech Meet Ups on the topic of “The Art of the Possible: Deploying Technology in Legal Services”. Held monthly online, the sessions will involve law firm practitioners, their clients and service providers offering their stories of collaboration to create new ways of working. These sessions are for everyone, whether engaging for the first time, fine-tuning thinking or looking for inspiration.

During the pandemic courts and service providers have experienced change in the ways they operate. “Consumer” expectation has shifted too and that touches provision for every firm: ABS, private practice, free-lancer or in-house lawyer. Sustaining the momentum for change is the biggest challenge facing many. This is a great time to re-calibrate and learn from what others have already attempted.

Birmingham Law Society and LawTech London’s shared intention is to create a sense of community in which everyone is able to participate and learn. We want people to feel that legal technology is accessible so that they can sustain and deepen relationships with clients, and, at the same time, maintain the highest standards of quality and service.

Big firms and their corporate clients embarked on the journey to “digital transformation” some years ago. “Innovation” was a buzz word before the pandemic and they have been able to capitalize on their early adoption. There is much to learn from their experience. In these sessions we will share examples of just such stories of success. None of them were achieved without set-backs along the way. The hope is that, by hearing first hand from key players, people can be inspired to explore possibilities for themselves and their clients.

No matter what size the enterprise, the same ingredients are required to create change; an ability to look up from the day today and let go of approaches which may be time-served; to collaborate deeply to discover what the problem really is; to be creative; to risk failure in the hope of success. These features are all characterised by higher-order human skills.

No matter how wary we may feel about the impact of the shift to digitally-enabled services in law, the one thing in which we can all believe is that fundamentally this is a story about human need and human endeavour. You do not have to be a technologist in order to engage in change. Human skills are at a premium and will distinguish any service provider. People with the right skills, experience and expertise are crucial to high quality provision and cannot be replicated by algorithms.

The Birmingham Law Society Legal Technology Committee was established in January 2021 with the intention to inspire, engage and educate lawyers and allied professionals at all levels in all kinds of legal service providers. We volunteer our time because we are passionate about the value of law in our communities, our economy and our society. We share a values-led, human-centered approach with the LawTech London community. We hope you will join us.

Legal Technology Community

A huge thank you to Sarah Holford from Scania and Tony Randle, for an incredibly interesting and educational insight into what clients actually want from their legal advisors.

Thank you also to all those who attended and to LawTechLondon and SuperTech for your support and collaboration.

60% of 2,000 people surveyed would not approach a lawyer even if they were in need of legal support, which tells us two things.

1.

2.

Lawyers need to change the way they offer services to improve accessibility.

There's a fantastic opportunity to explore an untapped market for smaller firms! We need an innovative transformation in the way that lawyers are providing legal advice, including using client friendly language.

Be proactive in innovation and seek solutions now, rather than reactive once your legal services have falled behind client expectations.

Client benefits from innovative lawyers

Improved communication and customer engagement Efficiencies in time and costs Client engagement (without the face to face meeting) Quick turn around (use of AI tools) Matter management (consistent and concise instructions) Quick contact and support (automated processes)

The 7 most expensive words in business... we-have-always-done-it-that-way

Consider the long term cost to your business if you do not seek innovative action, rather than the cost of implementation

"Innovation is not about tech or people, it is about tech

AND people. "

If technology can help achieve better and quicker lawyering, it offers lawyers the time focus on client empathy, business understanding and support. Improving the client experience through the use of tech innovation.

Clients want to be comfortable in what they do and on the right side of the law. Agree what success looks like and measure from that perspective.

Points to consider

Lack of diversity across the development of AI and legal technology Consider changing processes to fit technology as well as changing the technology to fit your processes! Larger firms should contribute a catalogue of helpful legal technology to support SME law firms

Broader services

Clients are not only looking for savings in time and costs, but also developing efficiences and improved standards of service. They are seeking the convenience factor from a legal advisor who will offer the do's and dont's of staying on the right side of the law, while showing understanding and consideration of the client's preferences for business needs, ethos and styles of working. Clients need easily digestible legal advice in a way that can be presented back to their internal teams without the need to rewrite or translate the content.

An excellent legal advisor offers a one stop shop for all client needs: training, legal work, advice and technology solutions.