Increased digitalization and automation have affected how legal services are offered. The legal profession has been going through a moment of profound changes. New technology and globalization have transformed the entire global economy, with tech companies and startups domineering international markets. Hence, traditional businesses should either innovate new strategies or get out of the market. The legal industry is facing an identity crisis to keep up with the changes. Below are tips that offer resources to build your knowledge of the legal industry.
Digitalizing Legal Education
Due to increased digitalization and innovation, lawyers and law students must adopt the new skills for future lawyers to meet their client’s needs effectively. Innovations in legal education have resulted in the emergence of new programs and courses matching the global landscape complexity. Therefore, students are equipped with the techniques and tools required to offer effective legal services in the digital era. Both established lawyers and law students must view education as a continuous process so that they can constantly update their computer science and knowledge to remain relevant in the changing commercial world.
Being T-Shaped Lawyers
Future lawyers should combine a deep understanding of the law with soft skills and other technical knowledge. A T-shaped lawyer is a term explaining a combination of these concepts because the vertical bar in T stands for core knowledge in legal matters. In contrast, the shorter horizontal bar represents an understanding of various disciplines such as data security, technology, and business. Therefore, T-shaped lawyers are better positioned to solve their client’s problems and collaborate with other professionals due to their capacity to combine knowledge in various disciplines.
Learning Coding Language
One of the essential competencies is the ability to code. Currently, most lawyers know how to code. The skill is most important for the legal, technical team developing legal applications and software. Although the skill may seem unnecessary to in-house lawyers, it is an advantage to their competency while advising their clients. While future lawyers may not be responsible for turning over the firm’s backend, appreciating the programming gives them a better standing in the digital commercial landscape.
In conclusion, lawyers need to adopt technology because it offers greater returns by reducing time spent on low margins and repetitive actions. For instance, when dealing with minor insurance claims, it is time-saving to automate standardized contracts or implement chatbots to respond to client’s concerns efficiently. The systems effectively work in other industries like retail and banking and can work in the law industry.