Historically, the law profession has been reluctant to adopt new technologies, but this is fast changing as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning transform the profession. While research suggests that 114,000 legal jobs will be lost globally over the next two decades due to automation, other roles could emerge to handle the new technology. Riaz Moola, CEO of HyperionDev, explains why lawyers should embrace technology and what they can gain from learning to code.
Famous for its longstanding traditions, the legal services industry is undergoing rapid digitisation. In many ways, it was inevitable for this to happen as machine learning and the law are governed by similar principles: both look to historical examples to find rules to apply in new situations. “In fact, the legal sector is undergoing the digitisation that other industries have already experienced and because it is very document-intensive, it’s an industry poised to benefit greatly from what technology can offer,” says Moola.
Automation offers many benefits, including boosting a legal firm’s productivity. According to a recent survey, the top three technologies in which lawyers are investing are contracts management (44% of firms), matter management (42%), and governance, risk, and compliance technologies (37%). E-billing is another technology that will be increasingly invested in the future.
Why coding is important for lawyers
“Like law, coding is based on logic and deductive reasoning,” explains Moola. “It’s about finding solutions to practical problems. While the debate on whether lawyers should learn to code in law schools continues[iv], it’s becoming increasingly apparent that having at least some knowledge of coding will give lawyers a competitive edge. For instance, lawyers involved in the world of tech and responsible for roles that include Patent Prosecution, IP Licensing and IP Litigation can benefit massively from having a coding context.”
Because law and technology are so perfectly suited, HyperionDev has partnered with the University of Cape Town’s Law@Work to explore coding for lawyers. Moola shares that the Coding for Lawyers bootcamp will give students the insight, confidence and motivation to embrace new technologies and incorporate them into their careers.
Students will begin with the basic concepts of programming and logical thinking and then enhance their career skills set with practical training in Python, covering the full spectrum of programming fundamentals. “The comprehensive support structure and expert code review has been proven to get students coding better and faster, armed with the technical insight to navigate their professional practice in the digital age.”
Future-proofing law careers
Learning to code as a lawyer doesn’t necessarily mean dropping out of one’s practice. “The Coding for Lawyers bootcamp can be done part-time at your own pace,” explains Moola. “It will give you the skills you need to future-proof your career, helping you to develop software with programmers from the inside out, not the outside in.”
He concludes by saying, “This new breed of lawyer-coder will be amply prepared for the digital world of the future, especially in this data-driven industry. Tomorrow’s lawyers will be those who develop systems to help solve clients’ problems with the support of technology.”
