IE Law School students recently traveled to London to attend the LegalTechTalk conference, gaining invaluable insights into the future of the legal industry.
The field of law is constantly changing and being disrupted by emerging technologies, and it’s crucial that legal professionals stay up-to-date. The annual LegalTechTalk conference aims to help them do just that. With more than 4,000 attendees and over 300 speakers at the 2024 edition, the two-day event brought together some of the biggest names in the law sector to talk about the latest trends and innovations and the future of the law industry. And some IE Law School students were lucky enough to be there too.
We spoke to the three to hear about their experiences at the conference.
Why did you attend the London LegalTechTalk conference?
Jade: The conference was super-interesting to take part in, as we were able to further delve into intricacies of the legal sector we had not yet been able to do in class. It was really interesting to see so many professionals come together to discuss the innovative nature of the law and what the future likely holds for the legal profession.
Maksim: My goal for the conference was to understand the impacts and changes of the areas of law in which I’m interested in working after I graduate. I also wanted to understand the current trends and thinking of law firms in order to have an understanding of what’s required of graduates when entering the labor market.
Luisa: I have had a strong interest in LegalTech for a while, and wanted to see the tools that are emerging. It was very interesting to hear Pav Gill, the whistleblower in the Wirecard scandal, talking about his experience. It’s great to see how whistleblowing tools can help to drive accountability and prevent obscure schemes in organizations.
Which presentation impressed you the most?
Jade: One of the panels was about IP rights and their intersection with the law and authorship or ownership. The panel was very well composed as the different perspectives allowed for a back-and-forth dynamic in which the tech software side was able to provide practical context, while someone from Microsoft was able to give the perspective of regulation regarding these same softwares.
Maksim: The session that was most interesting to me was called “The Future of Client-Attorney Relationships.” The panel focused on how clients see the future of their relationships with law firms and lawyers, and provided a clear insight into the current issues that both parties struggle with.
Luisa: From the startup demos, the one I found most interesting was Hebbia, a legal co-pilot tool based in New York. I am curious to see where the future of legal co-pilots is headed.
What are your thoughts on the overall experience?
Jade: I had an amazing time in the seminar, at the conference, and in London generally. I am very grateful for the experience.
Maksim: It has turned out to be one of the most valuable experiences throughout my university journey. It provided an incredible amount of insight into the legal profession and was mostly focused on its future, which is very important for a student to understand in order to plan their career.
Luisa: It was a great experience to see so many people building LegalTech tools to democratize legal access and reduce friction in organizations of all sizes. It was a super-insightful conference to find out about where the future of law is headed.
“It has turned out to be one of the most valuable experiences throughout my university journey.”
Maksim Kudinov
How does participating in conferences like this add value to your student and professional life?
Jade: Participating in conferences such as these really puts our soft skills to the test, which is something IE Law School has really helped all of us develop. We are also able to network with professionals and gain not just knowledge, but practical experience in the real legal sphere.
Maksim: The attendees of the conference were people who work within the leading companies that create new technological solutions for the legal market, lawyers from most of the leading law firms, and other influential people in the tech, entrepreneurial and legal world. During the conference, it was possible to set up one-to-one meetings with speakers and attendees to talk about specific topics you were interested in. This provided an invaluable experience.
Luisa: It gave me the chance to connect with many companies and founders, which opens so many doors for future collaboration or employment. As I am also particularly interested in the ethical side of how LegalTech changes the landscape, it was very insightful to see some of the most-used and emerging tools in the space.
“It gave me the chance to connect with many companies and founders, which opens so many doors for future collaboration or employment.”
Luisa Kaczmarek
If you could take one piece of knowledge or insight from the event, what would it be?
Jade: People are always looking to help each other out, and being willing to try and talk to professionals, although potentially intimidating, is a great experience and character builder.
Maksim: There can be a serious struggle between clients and attorneys in the sense that clients expect a wider range of services and at the same time demand a decrease in the cost of such service. This is the place where technology will come into the legal sphere and will be implemented widely by the professionals to help them deliver the service requested by the clients at a lower cost.
Luisa: There are a million ways in which tech can revolutionize the legal landscape—in good and in bad ways. It’s on us to choose which ones we allow to take over.
“It was really interesting to see so many professionals come together to discuss the innovative nature of the law and what the future likely holds for the legal profession.”
Paula Outon is an experienced graphic designer and marketer with a solid academic and professional background. Her academic journey took her from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, where she specialized in Graphic Design with a focus on Branding, to Australia, where she furthered her expertise in Fine Arts in Digital Media. Upon returning to her home country, Paula gained valuable experience in Digital Marketing.
Her passion for understanding consumer behavior led her to Spain, where she completed a Master’s in Marketing Research and Consumer Behavior at IE University. Paula continues advancing her marketing career, leveraging her diverse skill set and international experience.
