Investigating Possibilities for Tech Legal Employment

Tech Legal Careers: An Overview

As technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, the need for legal professionals who understand and can navigate this complex landscape has become increasingly vital. Tech legal jobs encompass a wide range of legal positions that deal with issues specific to the tech industry, such as data privacy and protection, intellectual property rights, e-commerce regulations, and online dispute resolution, among many others.
These legal roles often require a deep understanding of both the law and the technical aspects of the industry, making them particularly unique. For example, tech lawyers may work with clients on drafting and negotiating licensing agreements, handling mergers and acquisitions, advising on regulatory compliance , or representing them in litigation. The ability to stay up to date with current trends and dynamics in the technology sector is therefore critical – as is the necessity for continued professional education.
Law firms and corporations of all sizes have recognized the value of having tech-savvy legal counsel on hand. As such, the demand for tech legal professionals is expected to grow significantly, especially as the line between technology and law becomes increasingly blurry. With the rise of alternative legal service providers, early career practitioners should have no problem securing opportunities at forward-thinking companies or startups.
As the digital economy continues to thrive, so too will the field of tech law. With technology integral to almost all aspects of business, tech legal professionals are positioned for significant growth. Increasingly, all companies need the ability to protect and manage their digital assets – and that means hiring the right lawyers for the job.

Essential Skills and Qualifications

A deep understanding of technology trends is an indispensable skill for tech legal professionals. Keeping abreast of the latest developments in artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cloud computing, among other areas, not only informs your work but also underscores your expertise and passion for this dynamic industry. This foundational knowledge acts as a jumping-off point for critical analysis of how these technologies fit into the legal frameworks governing them.
Privacy and data protection laws are another crucial cog in the wheel of tech legal jobs. As governments enforce stricter regulations on data use, a robust understanding of these laws allows you to guide companies through the maze of compliance. Additionally, as cross-border data flows continue to expand, knowing the intricacies of privacy laws around the world can set you apart from your peers.
Finally, intellectual property law plays a pivotal role in many tech legal positions. A solid understanding of IP protections, including copyrights, trademarks, patents, and trade secrets, is vital in order to offer the best legal guidance to organizations on how to secure and protect their intellectual property.

Varieties of Tech Legal Positions

The landscape of tech legal jobs is as diverse as the technology itself. One might find themselves as a legal tech consultant, providing guidance on software development and implementation. Or perhaps a compliance officer, whose job it is to ensure that all data protection laws and regulations are being followed within the tech company. On the more traditional IP side, there is the patent attorney or IP lawyer, specializing in protecting the innovations and inventions tied to new technologies. Barbara Grosz, an executive recruiter, also notes other jobs, such as eCommerce specialist, technology transfer officer, and digital privacy specialist, as being well within the purview of tech law.
A legal tech consultant works with companies – usually larger ones – and providers to assist in the implementation of a technology-related service. In these roles, responsibility can vary widely, from project management to application development, depending on both the size of the provider and the size of the client. Some implementations are relatively simple, while others are incredibly complex.
There are many types of compliance roles within tech companies. The most well-known in this space is likely the Data Protection Officer. Depending on the size of the organization and the relevant data protection laws at the local or state level, this position can be entirely bespoke or can be tied into an existing privacy group. Although some companies have appointed lawyers to the role, there are few that focus solely on tech law or tech compliance.
Another common role is a compliance officer, which can be either in-house or external. Unlike a DPO, a compliance officer may not be focused exclusively on privacy issues, but on all legal issues the company faces.

How to Break into a Tech Legal Career

Education and Certifications for Tech Legal Jobs
Most tech legal professionals have a law degree. Becoming a lawyer typically requires a bachelor’s degree, three years of law school, and passing one or more state bar exams. Tech-savvy attorneys with a strong background in technology and computer science are in demand to help protect the very companies that provide new technology.
A legal degree is not the only route into the arena of technology law. In-house and consulting tech lawyers often have degrees in computer science, software engineering, electrical engineering, and related fields, as well as master’s degrees in business and technology management. Many companies provide certification training programs, and certification from an industry-recognized organization is a great credential to add to your resume.

Industry Trends and Future Projections

As with every industry, there are trends to stay on top of, and in the tech legal field they are helping to define the future. The rise of artificial intelligence is one area with a direct impact. "The number of attorneys in many firms will decrease as AI is able to do the daily tasks that can be automated, such as reviewing contracts for example," Anthony Chang, General Counsel, Legal and Compliance at WebMD told LTN. "However, there will be a continued need for specialized lawyers that have experience and knowledge in the space, as well as for lawyers who can work with the technology and are equipped to handle complex legal issues." This makes it all the more important that lawyers in the legal tech industry increase their skillsets. "Legal Ops is an evolving field bringing in new talent. A background in project management, change management, supplier management, business analysis, process improvement, technology implementation or technical support, legal domain expertise or legal training, finance, sourcing, human resources, etc. can sometimes be applied relevantly to a Legal Ops role in addition to a legal background," Sean McCaffrey, Chief Executive Officer at nQueue told LTN . While some may fear that AI will cut jobs, others see the future of legal tech work as being more about the collaboration between people and machines. "What is certain is that we’ll have the ability to use these technologies through our phones and other devices to run our law firms more effectively. That means we’ll need tech-savvy lawyers and managers for these systems," says Adrian Dayton, attorney, author and founder of 3 Geeks and a Law Blog. As the legal field continues to evolve, so too will the methods by which people seek to improve their careers within it. One avenue that is becoming more popular is the concept of coaching. "I see an increase in legal coaching becoming a new norm for legal professionals (who tend to be high achievers) to improve upon their strengths and gain clarity and confidence to navigate their careers and just be "better" at whatever they are doing – whether it be as a young professional, dealing with a career transition, re-entering the profession, becoming a rainmaker, etc.," says Janet Falk, attorney, executive coach and author of the Lawyer’s Advertising Ethics Handbook. At the end of the day, the future should be exciting for those in the legal field, no matter what exactly they’re doing.

Leading Companies in Tech Legal Employment

There are a variety of companies that routinely search for professionals in the technology area to fill legal and compliance roles. These include some of the largest technology companies in the world along with legal technology companies that have unique opportunities in the increasingly sophisticated role of technology in the legal field.
The following is a small sample of companies hiring for legal technology and compliance roles:

Bloomberg LP – multi-faceted company with roots as a financial news and communication service that is now the global standard for the way professionals and enterprises throughout the financial and related services sectors manage information. Bloomberg has several legal technology opportunities including in its legal and compliance verticals.
Clio – cloud-based legal technology company providing automated legal practice management software with a focus on modernizing the profession. Clio’s latest product, Clio Manage, is a complete legal practice management software platform that helps lawyers manage cases and client matters from intake to invoice.
Everlaw – litigation support software that seeks to combine legal knowledge with sophisticated technology centered around maximizing attorneys’ time.
Lexis Nexis – online legal research service providing access to laws, legal cases, law reviews and more information related to legal research and practice. Company’s software suite, Lexis Nexis Litigation Profile Suite is the main focus of its technology. The suite contains vital information about attorneys, judges, law firms and venues to allow litigators to make better arguments and develop higher quality case strategies.
Relativity – electronic discovery software used to store data, find relevant data, review data in a legal context, and produce the data in response to legal requests. Relativity is considered one of the most powerful document review technologies on the market and has served as the dominant legal review tool for major law firms and government agencies.
Reveal Data Corporation – software used for device forensic investigations including retrieval from smear cards, image files, flash memory cards, and keys. Software can analyze data from Microsoft Windows, Linus, and Mac OS X. The company’s platform KIBITZ uses proprietary, patented algorithms to detect the presence of files associated with specific user activities and parses the files to glean relevant information.

Career Development and Networking

A key strategy in advancing your career in the rapidly evolving tech sector is to engage with and join relevant professional organizations. The legal-tech industry is, perhaps more than any other, teeming with lawyers looking to refine their craft. Whether you’re an attorney specializing in technology transactions, intellectual property, or technology driven litigation, there are numerous organizations and network channels that facilitate in-person or virtual events, training, and engagement. Apart from your state bar association, that can make the distinction in setting your path among many similar candidates. For example, the International Technology Law Association (ITechLaw), a global organization, has chapters in over 35 countries, boasting a searchable Member Directory of nearly 4,000 members . ITechLaw’s 2017 European Conference took place June 21-23 in Munich, Germany, and tackled issues such as Cybersecurity, Cloud and GDPR Compliance, Autonomous Vehicles, and Regulation of New Technologies. Organizations like TechGC and various incubators and accelerators across the country also present opportunities for networking with like-minded professionals. Think about your engagements. Do they involve inventorying and distributing data? What are the risks you need to protect against? Professional associations often help define, refine, or hone industry issues and developments that require discipline and specialized knowledge. They also provide a platform for relevant education and insight from fellow professionals, who have faced similar challenges, or recently engaged in relevant projects. As technology is critically important to all businesses, a successful technology lawyer will have a strong understanding of tech and be able to interface and collaborate with other tech professionals.