Lauren Edwards is the Head of Business Systems at RPC, covering core legal systems, legal technology systems and finance solutions. In this Q&A, she discusses the impact of AI on firms, how to deliver change effectively and the importance of diversity of thought in legal IT.
How is legal technology changing how firms do business?
While core applications haven’t changed much, there are a lot more products in the cloud now. We’ve seen a wave of applications that make legal work more efficient and effective, assisting with things like contract review and document automation.
These types of applications mean we’ve moved from a ‘here’s some technology, now use it’ approach to looking for tools that fulfil more specific needs. There are a lot more application offerings coupled with people who understand the structure of legal work and have detailed process knowledge which address some of the challenges in the legal sector.
What we’re also seeing is people in the sector really thinking about how legal technology can make processes more effective and solve problems. It’s top of mind. Perhaps that’s because we’re so used to using technology in our personal lives to assist us, so it has seeped even more into our professional lives.
What about artificial intelligence?
Everyone is talking about AI. That’s great in one sense – we’ve spent so long in IT telling people that technology is great and they should use it, so it’s exciting to see people interested in doing so.
Personally, I’m treating it with cautious optimism. I think the hype cycle on AI went crazy with everyone thinking it will solve all our problems immediately, but it won’t. What it will do is improve processes and create efficiencies, but I’m not sure it does the end-to-end process yet, which is where the rhetoric jumped to. We’ve come back a bit from that and we’re now working out how best to use it.
It’s also evolving so fast that we need to ensure we use it for the right opportunities and not just throw everything at AI and see what sticks. Some structure is needed when reviewing the opportunities, as at this stage, the investigation involves people’s time and money. I do think the future of legal work looks different thanks to AI, I am just not entirely sure on when or how yet.
Whose role is it to put these structures around AI in place?
I think it’s everyone’s role. Clients are increasingly asking about how we’re using AI so you have to take responsibility and have structures in place to evaluate the products you use and safeguard your clients’ data. Teams like Knowledge, IT and Risk are now working closely towards a shared goal, sharing process and technical knowledge. In addition, we are seeing active participation from lawyers.
Technology is rapidly changing how we all work. How do you deliver change programmes effectively?
Change is hugely personal and therefore emotional. Most of us in Legal IT are in a privileged position that we get improve the technical landscape, and so that will involve change. You have to do things that address a problem or have a purpose and in my view, it’s vital to align change to a benefit, otherwise there is no point. When I think about change, there isn’t a one size fits all approach. Instead, it’s about understanding the different benefits to those involved and conveying them.
When I’ve done change successfully, I’ve worked with the right sponsors who lead from the front, understand, support and promote the change, help craft the right message and help re-affirm it. However, it’s important to remember that you can’t go out and tell people the message without involving them in it. They have to have some responsibility and must want to participate fully in the transformation. Change has to be nurtured and it takes time for something new to grow and take root. Think about how you will support people post-change – not just during – and continue to measure the benefits and monitor the impacts.
Another challenge is that you have to be continuously available throughout a change programme. You have to be flexible, empathetic, adaptable and constantly listening, which can all be hugely time-consuming. However, if you believe in the benefits and can see them coming through it can be very rewarding.
Is there such a thing as too much change?
Having led enterprise application portfolios, it is definitely harder the more applications you have and the more integrations that have been developed. Change becomes infinitely more complex here. You want to get the most out of what you have in your portfolio, however, if something isn’t meeting a need, you have to change it.
There is a lot of talk about change fatigue, but the pace of transformation is what it is. We have to get used to it and manage it, but we have to remember many of us are in the privileged position of delivering change without feeling the impacts, which is why empathy and working closely with people matters. That said, if you don’t keep up with change, you will get left behind.
How is the legal IT sector evolving? Is it becoming more diverse?
I thoroughly enjoy working with people in Legal IT. They collaborate, they problem solve, they remediate, they communicate openly and are good at delivering. When I first entered the sector in 2006 at Wragge & Co (now Gowling WLG), there was a wealth of projects to get involved in – infrastructure upgrades, remote working solutions, new office openings, new applications – that it made it really fun and interesting. You were constantly taking on new challenges and that has continued. It’s a great sector and people are very open, honest and share information.
In my early days, I had some great mentors who pushed me to network, attend events and training, obtain certifications and recommended people to read about, areas to consider in terms of tech and more. I think that’s very important, as it can be too easy to stay in your comfort zone. To use a well-known cliché, it’s important to be comfortable being uncomfortable. I think you get to a stage where you understand that, despite not always enjoying it.
On the diversity issue – legal IT has a variety of roles and skills, so there needs to be a variety of people and views in the sector or we won’t succeed.
In addition, the disparity of business challenges now needs a variety of views, skills and experience. Areas like gender and the number of females in IT roles is improving but that’s not to say we’ve ticked diversity off. Things have changed, but more work needs to be done.
Getting involved with mentoring to address some of the issues around STEM and social mobility has provided me with a greater understanding and chance to promote that culture. We need a breadth of talent and different people to succeed in legal IT – something my current firm RPC is really focused on and I am looking forward to contributing to.
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