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Female technical developers ‘rare on the ground’ in legal tech
There must be a concerted push for more women to acquire skill sets at university to become technical developers in legal tech, according to one company.
Malavika Santhebennur
Legal software business LawMaster and mattero marketing manager Fiona Chevallier-Knospe told Lawyers Weekly ahead of its inaugural Women in Law Forum 2022 that while female representation in legal tech has recently grown, it is still dominated by men.
“More women are getting into it, but it’s taking its time.”
Ms Chevallier-Knospe underlined that the legal tech industry is broad, with strong female representation in departments such as client services, which entails project management, leading implementations, writing training documentation, and providing help desk support.
Alongside this, women with a legal background have also moved into product development roles, finance and administration teams, and sales and marketing, particularly at LawMaster and mattero, she added.
“But getting female technical developers is fairly rare on the ground,” she highlighted.
“There are more out there today, but we need more women to learn those skill sets at university and move into the technical development realm.”
Diversity critical to innovation
When asked why a larger representation of women in legal tech is critical, Ms Chevallier-Knospe noted that with more women now studying law than men, these women will have a larger influence on the direction of the law and their legal career.
They could initiate change in the way in which law firms and legal departments operate, she added.
LawMaster and mattero service manager Jody Smith concurred and pushed organisations to recruit a broader pool of women to provide more diverse solutions as legal tech evolves.
“For companies to be innovative, they need to be inclusive and have diversity,” she asserted to Lawyers Weekly.
“The only way to achieve this and succeed in legal tech is by providing equal opportunities.”
A more diverse industry would foster innovation by inviting new perspectives on legal processes and solutions, Ms Smith added.
“In my opinion, working in a company that is committed to providing all staff with equal opportunities to openly collaborate and support each other will foster diversity and provide greater inclusiveness for both genders,” she said.
Ms Smith’s comments preceded the Women in Law Forum 2022 in November, where she and a panel of speakers will discuss the impacts of the small percentage of legal tech solutions that are designed and created by women, its impacts, and how to lift the visibility of women in legal tech.
Everyone has a role to play in breaking down bias
To do this and address systemic issues in legal tech, Ms Smith suggested that everyone could contribute by countering bias and closing the gender gap.
Providing training, workshops, and mentoring could spur more women to pursue a career in legal tech while forming support networks, she added.
“When we empower each other and have confidence as women, we can bring greater awareness and positive changes to our workplaces, including championing strategies for inclusion and boosting female leadership representation,” she said.
Ms Chevallier-Knospe proposed dedicating a session on women in legal tech at legal tech conferences to showcase different career opportunities for them.
Lateral thinking is critical to succeed in legal tech, she said, a skill most lawyers possess as they frequently solve complex problems through creative solutions.
“It really helps if you love working with technology,” she said.
“It is really exciting to work with cutting-edge technology. Working in a software company is never dull because we’re always creating something new.”
Ms Smith concluded that legal tech requires women to challenge themselves, constantly learn, demonstrate courage, and take risks.
“There is a growing community of supporters for women in tech. They can connect with companies that are steering their company values, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, and the broad range of career opportunities,” she said.
To hear more from Jody Smith about the value of women in legal tech and how the profession could design an ecosystem that enables more women to thrive in the industry, come along to the Women in Law Forum 2022.
It will be held on 24 November at Grand Hyatt, Melbourne.
Click here to secure your place and make sure you don’t miss out!
For more information about the forum, including agenda and speakers, click here.
