Tech Law Careers: Skills, Qualifications and Application Tips

Jan 29, 2024

Written By Lewis Ogg

Technology is a defining part of modern life, and it is having an ever-growing impact on transforming traditional business methods. The legal field is no exception. This article will seek to explain the emerging legal tech market and provide a comprehensive guide for individuals interested in pursuing a career in this area.

Understanding tech law careers

Tech law is an incredibly broad term which encompasses legal issues relating to technology. Examples include intellectual property, data privacy, cybersecurity, and technology transactions. Additionally, legal tech, rather than tech law, is how technology can be implemented within the legal field to improve the efficiency and productivity of lawyers. These two subsections of technology within the law are vital parts of lawyers navigating the complex legal challenges that arise out of the tech era.

Working within tech law offers a wide range of potential career opportunities. If you are interested in in-house work, then technology companies often offer training and newly qualified opportunities. Alternatively, the traditional law firm route is still open as firms seek to develop practice areas in the likes of cybersecurity, privacy, and intellectual property. Within these practice areas, the complexity of legal tech offers new lawyers a fantastic opportunity to specialise within an exciting area of expertise.

Key skills for tech law professionals

A requirement for tech lawyers of the future will be legal and technical expertise. This dual proficiency enables practitioners to translate complex legal issues into practical solutions for tech-related matters. As lawyers are service providers, it’s vital that they have sufficient understanding to be able to simplify complex theories in a way that clients will understand.

Unlike the many areas of the law that you study at university, which have typically existed in a recognisable form for the last 75 years, technological advancements are raising new challenges that tech lawyers will need to grapple with. Approaching unique legal issues requires a high level of analytical thinking and problem-solving skills to find solutions for intricate legal challenges. Perhaps the most widely discussed example of this has been the application of existing copyright law to generative AI to determine who the legal owner of output is.

Even those who do not wish to pursue tech law properly need to be conscious of emerging developments. In the coming years, every field will have to remain open to adopting more efficient tech-based practices in order to stay competitive. A recent widespread development that underlines this idea is the almost universal adoption of DocuSign, a remote signing software that, prior to the pandemic, was only used in a limited capacity by a handful of large UK firms.

Qualifications and educational pathways

There are a variety of ways that you can further develop your understanding of tech law and legal tech. For those committed to a career in tech law, pursuing a certificate or LLM in a particular area of interest, such as cybersecurity or AI, is a great way to demonstrate specialised knowledge to prospective employers. Alternatively, for those who are looking to boost their general understanding, resources such as public lectures, optional modules, books, or webinars can provide invaluable insight.

Outside of academic learning, gaining hands-on experience is vital in determining whether you are interested in this area of law. Internships, placements, and vacation schemes are the most obvious way of experiencing what the day-to-day life in tech law consists of. Should you find these engaging, it is worth considering whether a technology-centred training contract, such as Clifford Chance’s IGNITE, is more suited to your interests.

Application tips for tech law positions

When applying for a job in legal tech, it’s essential that you can highlight both legal and tech experiences. This will vary depending on the job you’re applying to, but generally talk about how you engaged with tech law or legal tech, what skills you learned and what you took away from the experience.

It can often be difficult to effectively demonstrate your tech skills within a CV, as applicants often undersell or use non-specific terminology when referring to their competencies. Instead, try putting a ‘competencies’ section within your CV where you can answer potential questions. For example, do you know any coding languages? Are you comfortable using any generative AI software like ChatGPT or Midjourney and their extensions? Do you have any certifications in Office apps (e.g. Excel) or research programmes (e.g. LexisNexis)?

Similar to other areas of law, networking is an important part of participating in the field of work. Due to the relatively new and rapidly changing nature of tech law, there are many open events and conferences which allow you to build relationships with established members of the field. Try to engage and show your interests when building new relationships. If you can intelligently discuss topics and thought-provoking questions with speakers, they are more likely to want to connect with you than if you rely on stock questions they get asked at every talk.

Navigating tech law interviews

Interviewing for tech law positions has the potential to raise more unique questions than other fields, so it's important to prepare in advance. Questions may cover topics like emerging legal and technological trends, regulatory challenges, and ethical considerations.

For example, you might be asked a sweeping question such as ‘How do you think legal tech will impact the day-to-day experience of lawyers in the next 10 years?’ or a more specific question like ‘What piece of legal tech have you particularly enjoyed using, and what aspects of it helped to improve your productivity?’.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to answering tech law interview questions. However, the important thing to demonstrate is that you have thoughtfully engaged with the underlying issues and can clearly articulate your thoughts. An easy step towards this is to consider for what reasons legal tech is introduced or, alternatively, what clients would want from tech law advice.

Industry trends

The most prominent aspects at the moment are probably AI or robotics. However, areas such as cybersecurity, while less flashy, have made significant progress in recent years.

With such a rapidly evolving area of the law, it’s essential that you consistently take the time to remain informed and up-to-date on developments. If you are interested in pursuing tech law, then staying informed will not be a chore, but something that you naturally do throughout your career.

Conclusion

This is an exciting time to participate in expanding the boundaries of the law to new frontiers. Such an opportunity is rare, with whole generations often going by without the emergence of a new field. Seize this chance. There are an array of career opportunities throughout both tech law and legal tech, each offering a rich and dynamic career.

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