The future of law
Technology is changing the way we live and work, and this is also impacting the legal sector. Just like any other profession, being a lawyer has changed dramatically over the years and legal tech is at the forefront. It increases efficiency and productivity, but technology can also be used to capture information, keep data safe and save time with legal document automation. Thanks to legal tech, tasks such as creating business agreements and setting up stock option plans for companies can now be filled in much more efficiently. This saves a lot of energy that lawyers would rather use for more complex tasks.
Just in the past year alone 35% of law firms introduced new technology and 55% improved their use of existing technology. If students want to keep up in the industry, they must demonstrate a willingness and understanding to adapt to these innovative times.
It’s not just external materials and processes that benefit from new technology either. The legal work environment as a whole is improving, thanks to technology that students are unlikely to benefit from until they graduate. Now many training and resources are easily available online and a number of PLC law firms are using technology to improve the employee experience. This includes easy-to-use internal systems for HR, project management, and remote working and collaboration. Of course, these are all aimed at making employees’ lives easier and there are likely to be further developments in this area in the near future.
Mainstream legal technology
Depending on whether you specialize in a particular field, a typical UK law degree includes academic studies of legal theory with the application of law in real-life situations. This includes courses in public law, criminal law and corporate law, as well as legal issues in the field of property, human rights and the environment.
Until now, optional digital courses related to law studies have been available. Notably, in 2018, Manchester University unveiled the first legal technology course that combined classroom study with an app building course that would be used by legal nonprofits. Fast forward to the present, however, and hundreds of students are now studying a digital skills course, which will be a requirement as part of the ongoing bachelor’s degree programs in law.
New Horizons
While CILEX Professional Qualifications, which allow students to qualify as lawyers without legal training, introduced a required technology course last year, this digital skills course is new to Manchester Metropolitan University. Speaking about the first partnership between a UK law school and US training company Procertas, Manchester Met’s strategic leader for education, Dr Kryss Macleod said the course would mainstream legal technology.
As one of 13 required courses for undergraduate law students, the course combines practical training with theory and analysis of current legal technology. Students learn how to use Microsoft Word’s contract features, as well as Excel and Powerpoint for entitlements. All students must have qualified or expert status to pass.
Legal Technology gives students the opportunity to reflect on future legal practice, the legal practice and how law firms operate and behave. Not only does it enable students to get to grips with technology and processes that support and replace traditional legal methods, but it can also help improve overall business operations – both internally and externally.