Exploring Alternative Career Pathways in Legal Services NewLaw.

What defines a Successful Legal Professional?

In the fast-paced and ever-evolving world of law, defining success can be as complex as the cases that grace the courtroom. A successful legal professional is not merely someone who has amassed an impressive number of wins or climbed the ranks to partner at a prestigious firm. Rather, success in the legal field encompasses a multifaceted blend of expertise. For those embarking on a legal career, exploring opportunities within NewLaw/ Alternative Legal Service Providers (ALSPs) can offer innovative pathways to achieving professional fulfilment and success.

NewLaw as a Legal Profession

In previous articles, we could see that there are some necessary improvements, or even possible comprehensive reforms needed for the current legal education system. “NewLaw” was briefly introduced in the first article. It is the legal professional’s response to tackle inaccessibility, which is secured by the legal hierarchy and reproduced by our legal education system. This innovative concept would be illustrated further below. In part 2 of this series, “augmented skills” were suggested to be an essential skill - set that legal professionals should possess as a competent 21st century lawyer. This article provides an unconventional perspective onto the legal profession and suggests that there may be options (e.g. On demand roles in the form of Managed Legal Services) for law graduates outside the “orthodox” path of being solicitors or barristers (or in-house counsels too).

In terms of the legal hierarchy, being admitted as a lawyer has long been framed to be the obvious and almost the only possible path for law graduates for decades. However, as identified in the previous article, the ever-evolving world seeks something that traditional law firms, the active actors in the hierarchy, full of lawyers being taught and trained in our legal education system, may not be able to deliver.

Customers are searching for options that cater to their specific needs for legal services, which are not necessarily traditional and complex legal services, but bespoke and flexible legal solutions. They want to pay for the value added to them, not the number of hours each layer of lawyers (often used to review the juniors’ drafts). They want certainty on the bills. They want clarity on the documents. They even may even be considering engaging legal technology and process management tools to streamline their legal operation.

Innovative Legal Practices: NewLaw/ ALSPs, and Bridging the Skills Gap

When the market demands, legal professionals supply. Customers gratefully appreciate and resonate with the Alternative Legal Services Providers (ALSPs/NewLaw) companies. ALSPs/NewLaw could be understood as the provision of legal technology, process innovation, customer-focused services, alternative pricing strategies, flexibility and agility. The model includes implementation of numerous methodologies, such as Legal Operations (to develop and improve the in-house legal department through refined business models and processes), LegalTech (to assist the provision of legal services with software and technology) and Legal Design (to provide approachable solutions for their customers by combining design thinking, visual thinking, user experience design and legal thinking).

As suggested in the second article of this series, the lack of augmented skills demonstrate the failure of traditional legal education providers in connecting law graduates to real and changing legal world. The evolving market requires something that traditional law firms cannot supply, because the legal education system simply does not produce law graduates who acquire such skills. ALSPs or NewLaw companies can complement the existing legal structures and hierarchies. Helping to streamline how legal services are delivered and the type of service that is delivered. Furthermore, law firms and large multi-nationals could promote flexible working hours for their contracted consultants. While the world shows increasing acceptability of new business models such as a sharing economy, the gig economy and  moving away from the conventional 9 to 5 jobs, the legal sector lags behind.

Skills Needed for a Legal Career

In today's fast-evolving legal landscape, the skill set required for legal professionals extends beyond traditional knowledge and expertise. With the rise of NewLaw organisations/ Alternative Legal Services Providers (ALSPs), there is a heightened demand for a diverse range of skills that can adapt to new technologies and innovative practices. Here are some essential skills that modern legal professionals need to thrive:

1. Commercial Awareness

2. Attention to Detail

3. Communication

4. Teamwork

5. Information Analysis and Research

6. Organisation

7. Creative Problem Solving

8. Service Delivery Skills

Providing exceptional client service is key. This involves understanding client needs, managing expectations, and delivering legal services in a timely and effective manner.

These skills are not only foundational for traditional legal roles but are also essential for succeeding in the dynamic environments fostered by NewLaw/  ALSPs.

Adapting Legal Education: Equip Future Law Graduates for a Changing Legal Industry

As suggested in previous articles, with COVID hitting hard, businesses are seeking unorthodox ways to maximise value while minimising costs. This trend is particularly relevant for those pursuing a legal career. Our current legal education system is already lagging behind the industry's response to growing demands. By implementing some changes, we could better equip our law graduates to meet these challenges, including exploring opportunities within NewLaw and alternative legal service providers (ALSPs).