We might be a bit late for this, but they say better late than never. Earlier this month the International Legal Technology Association, in celebration of Women’s History Month, named five women as its 2024 Influential Women in Legal Tech.
This year, women have been at the forefront of the legal tech and transformation in the industry. At this year ILTA conference has recognized their groundbreaking contributions in the field. These women are not just breaking glass ceilings, but redefining how technology intersects with law. So let’s explore more about women in legal technology and their legal innovation.
What is Legal Technology?
Legal technology refers to the wide range of tools that make the day-to-day functioning of lawyers and legal professionals easy and automated. These tools and technologies can automate various legal processes and tasks. These law firm technology products facilitate practice management, accounting, document management, client management, communication, legal billings and time tracking.
Lawyers can track time on mobile devices, create an automated billing process, easily share data with clients using a client portal, and carry their legal practice with them. All with the use of different legal tech tools available in the industry.
5 Influential Women In Legal Tech ILTA
International Legal Technology Association honored these five influential women for their contribution to the industry:
Alma Asay, Chief Innovation and Value Officer, Crowell & Moring LLP
Alma is a renowned leader in legal tech and innovation. She is passionate about her work in leveraging legal technology and wants to create long-lasting change. She wants to bridge the gap between legal industry and technology with real-world adoption over any “bells and whistles.”
She is also the founder of Allegory, a cloud-based litigation management software before joining Crowell & Moring. Her contributions to the legal industry are valuable, especially in improving operational efficiency and client satisfaction.
She also oversees cross-departmental data, generative AI, knowledge management, and more. Additionally, the research services department, aligning traditional law firm tools and functions are also some areas in which she works.
Alma regularly speaks at industry conferences. Her 2023 engagements included “Spark Talks: Data-Driven Success Stories” at ILTACON, “Beyond Fees for Services Rendered: Defining Partnership and Value Adds in Client Relationships” at LVNx, and “Getting Buy-In for Process Automation and Legal Tech Adoption” at KM&I for Legal. She also authors the monthly “Women of Legal Tech” column for Legal Tech News, elevating the profiles of other women making moves across the industry.
Aalia Manie, Head: Webber Wentzel Fusion, Webber Wentzel
Aalia is an all-rounder. She is a lawyer, legal technologist, and entrepreneur. With her skills, she is leading Webber Wentzel Fusion, the NewLaw and legal technology division of the leading African law firm Webber Wentzel.
From the beginning of her career, Aalia has been pushing boundaries between law and technology. She has always been passionate about her work while practicing IP and technology. Aalia is driven by regulatory reforms and established a legal incubator for growth and business.
This passion took her to the next chapter of her life, where she experienced exceptional growth and learning as a COO of a technology startup and honed not just her legal skills, but also operational skills.
She is now focusing on designing and delivering AI, legal tech tools, and other alternative legal solutions.
Terri Mottershead, Executive Director, Centre For Legal Innovation at the College of Law
Terri Mottershead is an amazingly talented woman; she is the Executive Director of the Centre for Legal Innovation (Australia, New Zealand, and Asia-Pacific) (CLI) at the College of Law.
She collaborates with international leaders, legal businesses and supports them in transforming their legal practice and delivering the best legal solutions/services/products. She helps them to exceed their client expectations, not just that to help them cultivate workplaces that attract, empower, and retain multi-disciplinary talent.
She also leads CLI’s initiatives that include Generative AI, Legalpreneures Lab, and its podcast series, called The Legalpreneurs Sandbox. The Queensland Law Society’s Generative AI in Legal Practice Joint Working Group has recently recognized Terri’s work in legal GenAI.
Before joining CLI, she was a practicing lawyer. She also founded startups on three different continents. Additionally, Terri established and led the talent management functions for global firms and associations in Asia and the US. This includes Lex Mundi, the Inter-Pacific Bar Association, and DLA Piper LLP (US).
Caryn Sandler, Partner + Chief Knowledge and Innovation Officer, Gilbert + Tobin
Caryn is excellent in what she does. She leads the Gilbert + Tobin Legal Service Innovation team with G+T Innovate. These teams are crucial as they provide special services and support for Gilbert + Tobin’s legal service delivery.
Caryn’s role comes with a responsibility of over 70+ lawyers and business professionals working across Transformation, Legal Project Management, Knowledge Management, and Legal Informatics, and Data. At Financial Times Innovative Lawyer Awards Asia-Pacific 2022 Caryn was named “Most Innovative Changemaker. She also got “Innovator of the Year” at the Australian Law Awards 2022 and “Innovator of the Year” at the Partner of the Year Awards 2021.
Caryn is passionate about expanding legal education to enable lawyers to succeed and thrive in the changing legal environment.
Ginevra Saylor, National Director, Innovation and Knowledge, Gowling WLG LLP
Saylor is the National Director of Innovation and Knowledge Programs with the global law firm Gowling WLG LLP. She leads the firm in terms of innovation, legal project management, knowledge management, client solutions, and practice management. Additionally, she also manages the process of re-engineering strategy and initiatives.
She has an experience of over twenty years in building and delivering strategies for innovation, client solutions, process improvement, knowledge management, and technology adoption. As an Ontario and Pennsylvania Bars member, she also has extensive and varied experience as a practicing litigator and educator.
The Bottom Line
We exist in a world where technology and automation is becoming an integral part of our work. Women in legal tech are becoming leaders of change, adopting and developing new technologies and strategies.
Legal tech has not just improved women’s work life but also helped everyone who struggles with work-life balance. We have mentioned about 5 women of Impact Honorees 2024 who are trailblazers in legal tech. They are breaking ceilings and pushing the boundaries of traditional legal practice. These amazing women are becoming part of history by creating technology-driven solutions.