LEGAL


LawscotTech now has more than 100 active participants


Innovation and collaboration driving legal tech success


Initiative is ensuring that Scottish solicitors can be ahead of the technological curve


BY PAUL MOSSON


Since launching LawscotTech last October, we now have more than 100 active participants from across Scotland’s legal commu- nity working with us. LawscotTech, which has


brought in a group of Scottish legal technologists, has helped companies access the deep knowledge we hold in the legal sector and to run ideas or even test products, as a result. Tis has


included specialist solutions for litigators, smart-contracts, GDPR compliance tools, wills creation tech for firms, and price transpar- ency tools which aims to benefit both legal professionals and their clients. Our approach aims to ensure


that the legal profession can be at the heart of the discussion about new technology. We will support new products as they come to market, with some currently un- der development by start-ups as well as well-known companies. Our strong relationships with


Scotland’s universities has also meant we have been able to join them on their own legaltech jour- ney and we are making connec- tions and sharing knowledge with our peers in other parts of the world, including Singapore which is a similar sized jurisdiction to Scotland and shares our ambition and energy.


Our role is also to stimulate


innovative thinking in law firms and as part of that we hosted an event in Glasgow last month which examined the cultural and behavioural barriers to innovation in law firms. Next month, we are hosting a


law and technology seminar that will explore, among other things, the application of artificial intel- ligence and blockchain in legal tech, how can lawyers react to technological change, what will the law firm of the future look like, how should new technolo- gies be implemented, and what should be used. It will also look at cloud


computing - the benefits and risks – the ‘social engineering’ phenomenon and how to avoid data breaches, and why law firms are vulnerable to cyber threats. Te seminar includes sessions on digital evidence in legal work and


how can lawyers better interpret digital evidence. We are not asking lawyers to be-


come technology experts, although we know there are a number who are, but rather we are asking lawyers to be lawyers and technol- ogy experts to be, well, technology experts - it is definitely not about hard coding! It’s this collaborative approach that is already delivering change and will ensure that Scot- tish solicitors can be ahead of the technological curve. l


Paul Mosson is Executive Director of Membership Engagement and Support at the Law Society of Scotland


Law and technology seminar, 8 May, Glasgow: https://bit. ly/2Iajks2. To find out more about our upcoming events or get involved email us at tech@lawscot.org.uk.


FUTURESCOT | SPRING 2019 | 33


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