Thursday 28 November at CMS, Edinburgh
The law firm of the 2020s promises to be a very different place to the one today’s lawyers have known during their careers.
While traditional legal skills and commercial awareness will always be important, a greater premium is already being placed on the ability to handle data — something which law firms have to manage in ever increasing quantities. Developments in artificial intelligence (AI) offer possibilities to crunch through vast amounts of documents much more efficiently, while extracting meaning from information that was previously overlooked.
Future lawyers with the tech skills to oversee and understand these processes, and the brainpower to analyse the results they produce, will surely thrive.
At the same time, law firms’ clients are also grappling with the disruptive effects of innovation. As corporates and financial institutions employ AI and other new technologies within their businesses, they face novel legal questions that require thoughtfulness and creativity from their advisors.
Another major factor driving change is the ability to work from anywhere that broadband and 4G mobile technology has enabled. This trend is only going to accelerate as internet speeds increase, video conferencing becomes more sophisticated and virtual reality develops. Law firms of the future will reflect the growing shift to agile working.
Time: 5:30pm to 8:30pm
Location: CMS, Edinburgh
Level: Students, Graduates
On the evening of Thursday 28 November a panel of lawyers will gather at the Edinburgh office of global law firm CMS, at Legal Cheek’s latest event.
The speakers
• Claire Wallis, senior associate specialising in real estate
• Nick Brady, associate specialising in technology and media
• Megan McCulloch, trainee solicitor sitting in the technology, media, IP and competition team
The speakers will share their experiences of the wave of innovation sweeping through law and give their views on how it will shape the legal profession over the years ahead. They will also talk about their own career journeys to date, reflecting on their routes into law, while advising the next generation how they can follow in their footsteps.
After the panel session, chaired by Legal Cheek publisher Alex Aldridge, there will be networking over drinks and canapés with the speakers, trainees and members of CMS’s graduate recruitment team.
Apply to attend below. You’ll be asked to submit a CV and two questions for the panel. Please note that the details of those offered places will, subject to consent, be shared with the CMS Early Talent Acquisition team.