IT Jobs

November 1, 2022 by Amy Shanks Leave a Comment

CONTINUING EDUCATION WILL HELP YOU SECURE YOUR NEXT LEGAL OR IT JOB

Continuing Legal Education is a chess move in your favor.

To remain at the top of your field as a paralegal or IT team member, you must keep your skills current. In addition to keeping up with any changes in statutes and case law, paralegals should stay on top of changes that will affect their ability to do their jobs efficiently. Both paralegals and IT employees should remain tech-savvy and current with document management improvements, trial techniques, and court rules.

As a paralegal or IT professional, taking continuing education courses is an excellent way to stay on top of changes in the law and advances in the legal field.

Here are the top 3 benefits of continued education:

Increased value to the firm. Increasing your knowledge, building additional skills, and strengthening your current skills will make you invaluable to your law firm. In the long run, staying on top of your game may also lead to a raise or promotion.
Better performance. As you gain confidence by learning how better to perform your job, you will be able to handle more tasks. Your new techniques and skills will make you more productive and efficient.
Advanced communication skills. Paralegals often are the “go-between” for all parties involved in a case (attorneys, clients, courts, experts, witnesses). IT personnel are usually solving multiple problems at once under highly stressful situations. Successful law firms are built on great communicators!

Paralegals and IT team members who regularly attend continuing education courses are more marketable and have more opportunities for career growth. Not only does learning more help you to be an asset to your law firm, but it will also open the door for your career growth. Remember to update your resumes annually with your completed continuing education credits.

Top IT Skills

In February of this year, Team BRYTER wrote that in-house legal technology budgets will grow 200% by 2025. As these departments become increasingly dependent on technology to keep up the pace, IT specialists and tech-savvy legal professionals will most likely skyrocket.

One specialty predicted to continue in high demand is e-discovery/litigation. As document formatting changes due to improvements in software, professionals who are well-acquainted with the latest in e-discovery and knowledgeable about file compatibility across different platforms will have a leg up against other candidates. A paralegal with a background in predictive coding and further analysis software might cut document review by hours and make for a highly valued prospect.

What Recruiters are Looking For

Workflow, in general, will continue to embrace both automation and digitization, and having tech-friendly skills at hand will only help your chances on the market. Updating your skill set in these areas will raise your chances of success in the face of future tech innovations and a changing work environment.

Recruiters look for candidates with experience using legal research products such as Westlaw and LexisNexis. Potential employers may also expect proficiency in client software suites such as Google Workspace and Office 365. In addition, if you know law practice management software such as Clio and PracticePanther, you may gain an edge over your competition.

At Strategic Recruitment Solutions, we have matched top companies with top talent in the Gulf Region for over a decade. Our focus is on building long-term relationships with the companies we assist. Call us today at 888-366-6508. We can help you find the best candidate to join your legal or IT team or aid job seekers in finding the most appropriate position for their talents.

June 25, 2022 by Amy Shanks

3 TECH TRENDS AFFECTING 2022 AND BEYOND

The legal profession leads the way in some of the first implementations of new technologies.

Our dependence on technology has made big changes in the legal industry. Whether an increase in automated tasks, the growing field of artificial intelligence, or the need for better cybersecurity, we expect these tech trends to affect legal firms’ workflow and reputation moving forward. For example, a shift toward higher “tech literacy” will send signals to your clients and potential clients about who can best serve their needs.

Stay current with technology by watching these tech trends:

Automated Tasks

Since lawyers will always be around, documents are here to stay. In fact, that’s how automation began to take over in the law business. Also, it’s created more jobs with eFiling, eDiscovery, and more. In 2017, researchers from the Mckinsey Global Institute stated that 23 percent of lawyers’ tasks could be automated.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a technology that assists a user to send emails, automate logins, prepare documents, and copy data from document scans. Those that support RPA technology claim that firms can save somewhere between 30-40% of their time with automation. Because of the time saved, use of RPA in the legal sector is expected to rise in the coming years.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

More than half of all legal work done in-house is repetitive and easily repeated by a program. Allowing artificial intelligence to manage data and perform document analysis is the way of the future. It’s cost-effective in lowering the number of human mistakes and time dedicated to those tasks. As standard data storage increases, AI programs will index file volumes and streamline data management. Plan for an increase in your firm’s need for Tech-savvy employees who know how to work with AI to your advantage.

Cybersecurity

The amount of information that moves through an office network has reached critical mass. Since firms handle sensitive client and corporate data, there is always the risk of a network breach by profiteers. Attackers can pull off ransomware attacks with few resources. Due to this threat, it’s no surprise that network security, response plans, and crisis management have seen renewed attention.

By providing dedicated resources to privacy and data protection, the firm protects clients’ rights. Also, a firm that cherishes privacy boosts its reputation. Make sure to include IT professionals in your personnel plan that know how to keep your legal software up to date. Even if you hire out cybersecurity, you will still need employees able to communicate with your cybersecurity company to keep your firm running seamlessly.

At Strategic Recruitment Solutions, your success is our success. Our reputation for client satisfaction results from our commitment to clients’ objectives and beyond. We are the legal and tech recruiting firm for top employers in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and the Gulf Region. Our focus is on building a long-term relationship with companies that employ the highest-quality professionals. Call us today at 888-366-6508. We can help you find the best fit to join a legal or IT team.

January 20, 2022 by Amy Shanks

REPLACED BY A ROBOT? NOT YET! READ ABOUT LEGAL JOB MARKET TRENDS FOR 2022

The coronavirus pandemic has changed things, especially in rapidly integrated law technology. There have been some cut back regarding the number of in-office hours needed, however, there is an increased demand for in-house law support staff and IT professionals. This is true especially for those who want to move past entry-level positions.

The biggest impact on the legal field for 2022 is artificial intelligence (AI) and its AI-powered document discovery tools. After reviewing millions of existing documents, case files, and legal briefs, a machine-learning algorithm flags the appropriate sources that a lawyer needs to craft a case, often more efficiently and successfully than humans. These AI programs change how law firms conduct legal research and reshape what skills are more relevant in the law office. AI programs change how law firms conduct legal research and reshape what skills are more relevant in the law office. Furthermore, law clerks and paralegals accustomed to trudging through stacks of dusty law books and case files to find relevant information have learned new ways to work alongside the technology.

Here are some of the more prominent legal trends to follow in 2022:

Increased Automation

Law office automation uses technology to complete repetitive processes, from client intake to document automation. According to a study at the McKinsey Global Institute, 23% of a lawyer’s work is automatable. After analyzing 2,000 work activities for 800 occupations, the institute reported that although artificial intelligence will take over a decade to replace any legal jobs, law firms are already utilizing smart software and devices. The study predicts that thousands of legal roles will be fully automated by 2036. However, the study concluded that “even when machines do take over some human activities in an occupation, this does not necessarily spell the end of the jobs in that line of work. On the contrary, their number at times increases in occupations that have been partly automated because overall demand for their remaining activities has continued to grow.”

Billing

Automated task codes in billing helps to streamline each legal task and expense when it comes to compiling billing information and formatting invoices. In addition to automating billing codes, the computer-assisted billing applications substantially decrease or eliminate the review of monthly invoices. In the billing applications of the past, timekeepers logged time spent on a task, and partners had to review and approve the time spent. The new applications alerts timekeepers in real-time when they are spending too much time on a task.

Research

Legal research is time-consuming. Thanks to improvements in Natural Language Processing (NLP), applications like Bloomberg’s Points of Law, CaseText, Lexis Answers, WestSearch Plus, Ross Intelligence have improved interactions between humans and computers. NLP combines computational linguistics with artificial intelligence to allow users to inquire about extremely specific information. Automated legal research makes research easier for attorneys, is exponentially faster and helps remove human error.

Growing Artificial Intelligence

As AI continues to integrate into our phones, televisions, and tablets, we can consider AI a crucial part of the legal and IT workplace. Streamlining data management, analysis, recording, and storage is crucial to time-sensitive deadlines. AI Is already taking care of document review. Much of the software used to automate these routines and everyday tasks requires a dedicated IT staff. The time and money saved through automatic document review alone are astounding.

Cybersecurity

Recently, there has been a spike in cyberattacks, both at law firms and technology companies. With the increased scrutiny on the privacy of client information, the legal landscape is shaping to hire more tech-savvy paralegals. Technological improvements have created new opportunities with new job titles. Salary will increase with legal expertise and professional technology skills in litigation, information governance, compliance, and cybersecurity.

According to the American Bar Association, “Candidates for future lawyers will need to be able to demonstrate emotional intelligence, and a deep understanding of the ways in which technology can aid in achieving client outcomes. These traits and skills will be at least if not more valuable than law school grades. The inflexion point for the delivery of legal services is upon us. The faint of heart, who seek to cling to the old models, will likely not survive long”.

At Strategic Recruitment Solutions, your success is our success. Our reputation for superior client satisfaction results from a tireless commitment to exceeding our clients’ objectives. We are the recruiting firm for top employers in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and the Gulf Region. Our recruiters will partner with you in searching for highly talented legal, management and technology hires. Furthermore, our recruiters will lend their industry knowledge, experience, tools, and technology to enhance your recruiting strategy. We have been matching top companies with top talent in the Gulf Region for over a decade. Our focus is on building a long-term relationship with your company. Call us today at 888-366-6508. We can help you find the best candidate to join your legal or IT team.

August 27, 2021 by Amy Shanks Leave a Comment

HOT IT JOBS IN THE LEGAL INDUSTRY

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has caused some instability and uncertainty for the workforce, the legal tech professional’s market continues to grow. According to legal tech news, companies and law firms are back to hiring legal technologists with the regularity and ferocity seen before the pandemic. It is anticipated that the demand for legal tech professionals will remain high due to the specific challenges of the pandemic.

Law firms are fully aware of how technology shapes law and the legal process. In response to the pandemic, law firms have had to become increasingly digital. In 2021, technology began transforming the legal industry at lightning speed. Some experts believe technology will innovate the entire law practice before the decade’s end. Here are a few of the current law office technology trends:

Seamless communication and document automation – Law firms want to ensure that they are reachable and that their clients can sign documents electronically.
Cybersecurity – As more work transitions to an online or virtual format, law firms will have to take a more active role in the security of their firms’ and their clients’ confidential information.
Capturing data – Law firm want to capture more data and to have it be in a format that will transfer into more profit.
Integration of cloud-based platforms – Implementing systems that help facilitate efficiency such as client portals.
Digital interfaces from courts and government agencies – virtual filing, virtual conferences with judges and virtual trials.

If you are in the legal technology industry or work in a law firm’s tech department, the following are some useful pointers to advance your career.

Stay Current

Due to the rapid advancements in technology, those in the legal industry need to stay current. You can do this by following tech news and looking at legal blogs for updates as well as attending relevant seminars, webinars, and workshops.

Stay on Track

The legal tech industry is yet to have a clearly defined career path. However, by remaining aware of opportunities you can advance your career. Do not be afraid to ask your colleagues about the current trends in technology. Keep in contact with IT recruiters, and network in order to stay on track with your goals.

Be Passionate about Your Career.

You don’t have to know everything to be successful. For example, you don’t have to get a software degree to work in legal tech. What helps is if you are passionate about your career and willing to learn.

If you have the technological tools to solve the client’s issues while understanding the client’s legal needs, you will excel in this market.

At Strategic Recruitment Solutions, your success is our success. Our reputation for superior client satisfaction results from a tireless commitment to exceeding our clients’ objectives. We are the recruiting firm for top employers in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and the Gulf Region. Our recruiters will partner with you in your search for highly talented legal, management and technology hires. They will lend their industry knowledge, experience, tools, and technology to enhance your recruiting strategy. We have been matching top companies with top talent in the Gulf Region for more than a decade. Our focus is on building a long-term relationship with your company. Call us today at 888-366-6508. We can help you find the best candidate to join your legal or IT team.