With Innovation and Legaltech Week 2021 fast approaching, it’s time to meet our event ambassadors. All four of our ambassadors are innovation and tech gurus who are spearheading change – within their own organisations and the wider legal ecosystem.
Their mission - to bring the legal sector into the 21st century.
A collaboration between The College of Law’s Centre for Legal Innovation (CLI) and the Australasian Legal Practice Management Association (ALPMA), Innovation and Legaltech Week 2021 aims to shift the mindset of the legal industry – and act as a catalyst for sustained continuous improvement.
To be held on 8-12 February 2021, each ambassador epitomises their daily theme. Meet Caryn Sander, Warrick Mclean, Katherine Thomas and Melissa Lyon.
| Caryn Sandler, Partner + Chief Knowledge and Innovation Officer, Gilbert + Tobin, Co-Chair of the CLI Advisory Board and Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Innovator of the Year (Individual) 2020 AMBASSADOR OF DAY 1: Leading change |
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What’s the focus of the day you’re championing?
As you go across the week, each theme has a connection. Given I’m the ambassador for the first day of the conference, my priority is to help set the foundation for the rest of the week.
So, unsurprisingly, my day is all about changing the mindset of our industry.
We will start the day by exploring how to work through a mindset change and what that change might tangibly look like.
Then as the day unfolds, we will look at how agile management can bring about change and legal innovation and discuss the secret ingredient in ‘leadership sauce’.
To cap the day off, we’ll compare how nine places from across the globe are embracing innovation and tech. It will be a unique opportunity to get a glimpse of next practices – and to apply these learnings in your own work.
What makes your day special?
Lawyers are traditionally trained to focus on all the things that could go wrong in a given scenario, and to find ways to mitigate the risk. This is a lawyer’s greatest asset and makes them excellent at what they do. But shifting this mindset is also critical for innovation and creativity – two key pillars for keeping our industry relevant in tomorrow’s society.
The day is special because being open to the possibilities that are rapidly unfolding in our sector is simply non-negotiable.
Why were you keen to serve as ambassador for the day?
Given my passion for all things relating to ‘legal innovation’, I jumped at the opportunity to help support our legal community embrace the tools and mindsets they will need to succeed in the future.
How will the event empower the legal community to develop agility and know-how for continuous improvement?
The program has been designed to encourage participation, experience sharing and networking for people across the legal ecosystem. But more than that, it looks beyond the legal sector at what other industries are doing.
The program includes specialists from a range of sectors. We want attendees to have the opportunity to learn from other industries, develop new capabilities – and integrate these into the legal world and their ‘ways of working’.
What makes Innovation and Legaltech Week universally appealing to practitioners from all areas of the legal ecosystem?
There are no job-based streams. Every session is multidisciplinary.
Attendees, regardless of their specialist area, will get to engage in diverse discussions and take away practical tips they can use at work the next day.
What are your thoughts on the CLI-ALPMA partnership that’s bringing this event to life?
Because the two professional bodies, both of which are community-focused, are hosting the event, attendees know they have their best interests at heart. CLI and ALPMA are hosting this event for free. They’re running it to support the legal community – making this a truly ground-breaking event for the sector and placing key knowledge at everyone’s fingertips.
| Warrick McLean, CEO, Coleman Greig and Co-chair of the CLI Advisory Board
AMBASSADOR OF DAY 2: Reinventing legal business |
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What’s the focus of the day you’re championing?
I’m an ambassador for Day 2, Reinventing legal business, which is all about the small and big changes that can help reinvent your practice – once you start to shift your mindset.
We start the day by exploring what the new legal ecosystem looks like – and what that means for you. This will lead to a conversation about how to translate these market trends successfully into your business strategy.
The big finale for the day is a virtual tour of the Ashurst Global Delivery Centre in Brisbane. Ashurst has the vision to be the most progressive global law firm, so it’s a unique opportunity to look behind the scenes at where their innovation is brewed.
What makes your day special?
The day will give attendees insight into what leading firms are doing in this space – those who are leading the change – big, medium and small.
We have an impressive lineup of talent, including legal professionals who work in-house, in private practice and in start-ups.
And truly, the best part about the day is that attendees will come away with practical, take-home learnings.
Why were you keen to serve as ambassador for the day?
As the Co-Chair for CLI Advisory Board and a Life Member of ALPMA, I’m grateful for how much both organisations have given me over the years.
And with 2020 being such a crazy year, I saw this as an opportunity for me to give back to the profession in some small way.
That aside, I also believe in the purpose of the event and wanted to get behind it. There’s been a tremendous amount of traction in legaltech in 2020, thanks to COVID-19. It’s important that this momentum doesn’t slow down. We need to keep firms thinking about what they can do next.
How will the event empower the legal community to develop agility and know-how for continuous improvement?
The legal profession is very collaborative – especially in the tech space. You need to know where to look and whom to speak to. That’s why events like these are so important for connecting with the right people.
The event will provide a forum for lawyers and all legal professionals to access the information they need to spur innovation, wherever they work. They will then go back to their practices to implement these “nuggets of gold”.
What makes Innovation and Legaltech Week universally appealing to practitioners from all areas of the legal ecosystem?
There’s honestly something for everyone in the program, regardless of where their knowledge sits right now.
You would be mad to miss this conference. Did I mention it’s free?
What are your thoughts on the CLI-ALPMA partnership that’s bringing this event to life?
Both organisations are leaders in the innovation and legaltech space – especially in the southern hemisphere.
The world has been tipped on its head over the last year. CLI and ALPMA are helping us bounce back from the challenges. But more than that, they are showing us how to channel this disruption into something that will ultimately be hugely positive for our sector.
| Katherine Thomas, CEO, Free Range Lawyers
AMBASSADOR OF DAY 3: People |
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What’s the focus of the day you’re championing?
In the third day, we’ll look at how changes in our industry require different capabilities, engaged in different ways – and the importance of working collaboratively with diverse people.
What makes your day special?
2020: has there ever before been a year of so much ‘people’ change?
Day 3 couldn’t be more zeitgeist if we tried! As a sector, we’ve always known that people are an important part of legal transformation (although for a while, we tried to suggest it was all about tech).
And 2020 has put this in sharp relief.
Sure, we’re working differently now, but the resulting mindset shifts are even more revolutionary. Our People day explores how we can capitalise on this momentum and put people at the heart of our future.
Why are you willing to serve as ambassador for the day?
It took a nanosecond to say yes when Terri asked me to be an ambassador.
The conference aligns superbly with my work at Free Range Lawyers – as it is democratising access to networks and knowledge, regardless of geography.
No matter where you live, what your budget or personal responsibilities, everyone can attend. So the core values of the event are close to my heart.
What’s more, I’m looking forward to the social element of the week.
I have worked remotely from my base in Perth for the last five years. Although I love almost everything about my set-up, I do get FOMO when colleagues in bigger cities attend landmark legal events. So it’s great to be part of an event that everyone can access, regardless of where they live.
How will the event empower the legal community to develop agility and know-how for continuous improvement?
A lot of thought has gone into making the program accessible and engaging – I think people will be surprised at just how collaborative and collegial a remote event can be with the right tools, people and planning.
Beyond that, the conference will deliver actionable insights at every stage. Delegates can choose the knowledge level they want to engage at foundation, intermediate or advanced. So there’s something for everyone.
Plus, the format offers plenty of variety to keep us on our toes, from presentations to panel discussions to virtual tours.
What makes Innovation and Legaltech Week universally appealing to practitioners from all areas of the legal ecosystem?
This conference is about the business of law and the team that comes together to deliver legal services.
It is just as relevant to access to justice (A2J) issues as it is to major corporate advisory work. There is a place here for everyone: in-house teams, legaltech, law firms, recruiters – the whole legal ecosystem.
I have no doubt that the very diversity of topics and attendees will deliver real value.
What are your thoughts on the CLI-ALPMA partnership that’s bringing this event to life?
A rising tide lifts all boats. If one of us succeeds, we all do.
2020 has demonstrated how interconnected humans are across the globe. This conference builds on that to share knowledge and networks around the world in a way that hasn’t been seen before.
Exciting stuff!
| Melissa Lyon, Associate Principal, Hive Legal, CLI Advisory Board member, CLI Chief Innovation Officers Forum Australian Chapter Lead and Lawyers Weekly Innovator of the Year (Individual) 2020 AMBASSADOR OF DAY 4: Client experience |
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What’s the focus of the day you’re an ambassador for?
Day 4, Client experience, explores the changing profile of the legal industry’s clients and how to put their needs and expectations first.
What makes your day special?
It’s about clients – and not all about us!
Hearing directly from clients, we will focus on how we can practically improve their experiences with us. And we’ll be thinking ahead, looking at who our clients will be in the future.
Why are you keen to serve as ambassador for the day?
They had me in two words: ‘client’ and ‘experience’!
I’m excited that I can finally champion something that is dedicated to the very people our industry serves. And I’m even more excited that we are focusing on their experience when receiving those services.
How will the event empower the legal community to develop agility and know-how for continuous improvement?
The day is going to empower our community by involving people who bring a real passion and drive to improve the industry in a range of ways. It’s bringing in people who are generous with their insights and willing to share their experiences – both good and bad.
What makes Innovation and Legaltech Week universally appealing to practitioners from all areas of the legal ecosystem?
The event has been carefully designed to cover areas that should be front of mind for anyone looking to change and improve the legal industry.
What are your thoughts on the CLI-ALPMA partnership that’s bringing this event to life?
One of the silver linings of COVID-19 has been the realisation that we are able to come together as a global community ‘virtually’ – thanks to collaborative tech platforms.
The CLI-ALPMA partnership saw this possibility and grasped it with both hands.
It is going to be an amazing opportunity to learn from and be inspired by those beyond our immediate ecosystem.