The Opportunity In Legal Tech
Why you should consider making the jump to the frontier of a fast-growing space, and also why you should come to my happy hour in LA
Earlier this week, I came across an article from Insider titled: There Are Hundreds Of Open Jobs At Legal Tech Companies Like Ironclad, Disco, and Rocket Lawyer. We Talked To Their Execs About How To Stand Out In The Booming Industry and I just HAD to share it with you all. Not only because it was written by my favorite legal tech journalist (and Off The Record subscriber!) Yoonji Han. But also because the subject matter is so relevant to what I write about in this newsletter. If there’s anything you take away from this article, it’s this:
The legal tech industry is currently growing incredibly fast. Which means it’s going to be messy and uncertain if you try to build a career in it. But the chaos also means that it’s not too late to seize opportunities especially if you go directly to the frontier.
Let me explain what I mean.
To do that, I’m going to first highlight couple of key points from Yoonji’s article, especially for those who got blocked by the Insider paywall. First, she explains why hiring for technology companies that serve the legal industry can be so challenging. You need the right kind of people who can gain trust among a skeptical audience:
Lawyers and law firms can be difficult clients to win over, given the sheer number of competitors in the space and the risk-averse nature of the industry.
Sometimes that means hiring lawyers or ex-lawyers themselves. But not necessarily. Some of the greatest legal tech sales reps I’ve ever met never went to law school. They just know how to speak credibly, avoid overpromising, and quickly gain trust with the other person. Which doesn’t require a law degree.
OK, so that’s who legal tech startups are looking for. If that’s you, how do you break your way into the space? Well, you can always check the careers page of a legal tech company’s website. Or, as Yoonji shared, you can be a bit more clever and proactive:
Attending virtual conferences and events that legal-tech companies host can be another good way to get your foot in the door1
This is such an underrated way of getting your name to the top of the list. It wasn’t how I did it, but knowing what I know now, it’s what I’d do. Having been in the startup space for almost six years, I can’t tell you how many people break in just by having a familiar name or face to the hiring execs. Although this could be from pre-existing networks, it could also equally likely be from who the execs meet at events and conferences.