2023: get set for the year ahead

This month's Legal Transformation 5 is late for a good reason. You may have noticed that I didn't publish one last month and that's because my team and I were very busy launching a new consultancy firm - Wycane Legal Transformation.

Our mission is to help in-house legal teams and law firms cut through the noise around legal transformation and identify the right approach and solutions that enables them to innovate. If you'd like to learn more please visit the new website or contact me directly.

New year, new goals, new challenges

So, 2023 is already shaping up to be an exciting year for everyone involved with Wycane. Next month we're hosting two events for legal professionals, more about these below, and we also have lots more news to announce later.

What about you? Has 2023 treated you kindly so far? What's on your roadmap and have you kept those New Year's Resolutions?

My Legal Transformation 5 this month is loosely themed around the subject of planning and achieving your goals. As always the content below comes from a variety of sources, so dive in and I hope you find some of it interesting, insightful and useful.

1. 10 tips for becoming an in-house lawyer

If 2023 is the year you're thinking of moving from private practice to becoming an in-house lawyer, this article by Emma Norman , Senior Legal Counsel at Invesco, is a good place to start.

Sharing some useful advice for transitioning from private practice to in-house, I particularly like Emma's point 'Bring your energy'. That problem solving ability is what's needed to help drive innovation - you've got it, use it!

Read Emma's article on the Crafty Counsel Blog here >

2. How to select the right legal tech for you

Set yourself up for the year ahead by getting a deep understanding of the legal tech market and how to select the right solutions to help you achieve your goals. Wycane Legal Transformation is hosting two masterclasses (one for in-house legal, one for law firms) in London next month. These will give you all the information you need to confidently select and deploy legal tech solutions.

In this article I explore some of the challenges we will address and what you'll get out of attending. Let me know if you have any questions.

Find out more about our masterclasses here >

3. Most employees using ChatGPT, other AI tools for work aren’t telling their bosses

ChatGPT is one of the big tech development stories of 2023. There is much discussion about how it can, or can't, be used in a legal context. But it's not only lawyers exploring its capabilities. Like other 'shadow IT', many employees are already using generative AI without it being sanctioned by the powers that be.

So what are the implications from a risk perspective? Ryan Golden on Legal Dive explores a recent survey into the use of generative AI tools, and flags up some of the concerns.

I think understanding the technology, capabilities and risks should be a top priority in 2023. ChatGPT is not going away, now's the time to get ahead - whether that's finding opportunities and applications to use the tech yourself, or protecting your business from harm.

Learn more here >

4. Shining a Light on The Importance of Data Visibility?

Jerry Levine , evangelist and General Counsel at ContractPodAi , writes in his newsletter that "having clear visibility into your accumulated data — the knowledge that is contained in your contracts and other legal documents — is a critical step for successful business outcomes in 2023".

I couldn't agree more. I would urge you all to prioritise your data - understanding what it is and where it is - because it will open up a world of opportunity for you and your organisation. It will help you do your job better. It will help you deliver legal services better. It will help you do more with less. It will help you save money, increase profitability and generate more revenue. And it will help you manage risk and protect your organisation.

Read Jerry's newsletter for a deeper dive into why you need better data visibility and how to get it >

BTW, Jerry Levine I hope you've recovered fully and have come out from the dark...

5. How to Get Old Dogs & Darned Horses to Drink That Technological Water

The latest edition of Technology in Law Law Land explores company culture and how this can be an enabler, or a barrier, to adopting legal technology.

If you're planning a legal transformation project and introducing new technology, don't ignore culture. In fact, get a handle on it now so you understand where there might be resistance and how to position your project to get stakeholders on board.

As always, this edition of TilLL is full of muse bombs from Chrissie Lightfoot to provoke some interesting and insightful chat.

Read all about it here >

That's it! I hope you've found something of interest above. If you'd like to attend one of our masterclasses, please click on the links below. Places are filling up fast, so book now to avoid disappointment!