How do you shift to a technology-related legal career? As an expert from an eminent Law School and specializing in Law, Technology & Entrepreneurship, with deep ties to the technology field, over- seeing how lawyers engage with tech industry and with old industries becoming tech-dependent, these insights are ideal for budding tech-lawyers. Law firms need lawyers who understand the needs of tech companies and who understand technology and development processes.
Some law school graduates are lawyers committing nine months to expanding their knowledge in LL.M tech-related courses, working alongside colleagues in business and tech to solve real problems. There’s no single answer about what is a tech lawyer. Lawyers for data privacy, tech transactions, IP specialists, work with high-growth start-ups, product counsels, employment lawyers navigating remote workplaces. Digital media lawyers and legal technologists use new tools to enhance legal practices.
Become a tech specialist in your practice
Tech lawyers are present in every specialty, so build your experience within existing domain knowledge as a lawyer to help your clients meet needs. Spend time with clients to learn their business and provide good client development advice; understand how clients interact with technology and identify how interaction with technology impacts legal needs. Volunteer for such work. Once you identify client needs, how do you meet these, as you are not an expert, and must learn from experts. Use opportunities to become involved even though others people are doing the work, spending as many days as necessary on due diligence or similar projects, as this investment increases your knowledge about the work to be done.
Serving a tech-centric world
LL.M. students must engage in active and experiential learning, with extensive reading to gain knowledge and skills. The interne has free, reputable sources of practicals, lectures, etc. in many areas of interest. Subscribe to professional newsletters, podcasts, and feeds. Most law firms have news feeds that feature top practitioners who write on the law practice developments. Build up your privacy skills as all clients with employees or customers have potential privacy issues, and privacy law is extremely complicated today. The US has a very fragmented law system in states, while the EU has a more complex system, which is very different. To empower yourself as an able candidate for privacy lawyer jobs, secure valuable data privacy certifications issued by IAPP. To accelerate your capabilities, consider advanced degrees like LLM in Law, Technology & Entrepreneurship providing an insight into technology law.
Track your progress like no one is watching
Prepare a master list of all you do no matter how trivial as that becomes the foundation of your annual review discussion and a very focused, resume. You help your firm serve existing clients and appeal to new clients and even new employers. Show your seriousness to make your case for change in your career. You are in control to decide what opportunities to pursue, what training to secure, and the experiences to build upon. There are many paths to pursue and at programs of good Law Schools, students have a two-semester study of law, technology, and business, learning the legal disciplines and skills to extend their practice into a variety of tech-related fields and build relationships with future entrepreneurs, even becoming entrepreneurs.