Innovation and entrepreneurship are probably not words that come to mind when you think of lawyers. With the constant evolution of the job market, future lawyers need to be creative problem-solvers, leaders with a business mindset, stellar organizational skills, and tech savvy. Law Without Walls (LWOW) knocks down the barrier between law and business, contributing to the creation of an innovative global community where all these skills can be honed by future legal professionals.
LWOW is designed to bring together teams of students from different law schools from around the world. Alongside mentors and advisors, these teams take on some of the most pressing issues in the industry.
Our Bachelor of Law students Lukas Mansky and Sebastian Arnold are participating in this year’s LWOW and went to Harvard University for the kick-off. They were more than happy to share their insights and reflections with us.
BOSTON – After arriving in Boston on a frigid Friday night, we had our first meeting with our fellow LWOWers at a classic Boston bar, packed to the brim with university students, from the more than 35 universities in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. The lively reception was followed by a seven o’clock wake-up call, and an early breakfast at Harvard Law School. Michelle and Erika, organizers of the LWOW event, then proceeded to teach us about the LWOW mentality and led us through various group-bonding exercises and interesting conversations, including a talk by the Dean of Harvard Law School.
One memorable exercise included a scenario in which each team was given a list of fictitious items and then asked to rank them in the order of their usefulness as a life-saving instrument that could be used after an airplane crash in the Arctic. After hours of fun and challenging exercises, teams were asked to come up with a product that would be presented the next day, in preparation for the actual LWOW challenge of creating a project that would solve a real-world legal problem.
The following day started at eight o’clock, and was filled with activities geared towards helping us present our product that very evening. Nerves ran high as the evening edged closer. The presentations were a success, and it was very rewarding to present our ideas in front of an audience of over 150 people. This gave us a taste of what was yet to come at the final presentations of the event in April.
To top off the evening, the LWOW organizers arranged a cocktail party as a final get-together for all the participants before everyone flew home on Monday. We are sure everyone left the kick-off with fresh ideas about how to create the next disruptive legal start-up.
After this unforgettable weekend, the real work started. Each team was challenged to come up with an entrepreneurial way to tackle issues faced by the legal community. Topics range from “How Can Lawyers Use Technology to Keep Up?” to ”What to Do When International Obligations Are Not Met in National Courts.”
Teams meet at least once a week online and work to find a solution. The students get assistance from lawyers, business professionals, and university professors. Weekly webinars also serve to allow for further insights into topics like entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership from a legal perspective. The interactive design of the webinars focuses on giving every participant the chance to interact with the speakers directly and maximize personal gains.
Step-by-step, all the teams are working towards presenting their projects to a huge audience including potential investors at the Miami University of Law in April.
The Law Without Walls kick-off was a great experience, combining fun and learning into one event with participants from all over the world.
Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions with us, and contact us if you would like to know more about the LL.B.
**Written by Lukas Mansky and Sebastian Arnold, students of the LL.B. at IE University and LawWithoutWalls 2017 participants.
