A new cybercrime/tech lawyer needs to reinvent himself

A new cybercrime/tech lawyer needs to reinvent himself or herself. Every cybercrime or tech lawyer, the moment they announce themselves as experts in cybercrime or cyber law, somehow follow the same tried-and-tested monotonous route. They go and teach in schools and colleges, and then they try to teach police officers in police stations or police academies. They believe that these activities will attract them necessary clients and fame in society. However, many budding lawyers observe that there is little money in helping and training the police, as the truth is that the police often offer little to no compensation.

Furthermore, once you get paid something as compensation no matter how small it is, you are not necessarily providing a social service. Let me also inform you that if you are a lawyer, especially a defense lawyer, being seen with the police can actually result in fewer or no clients. This is because when an accused person knows that you train the police, they may worry that you will disclose their secrets or crime-related details to your police friends. This lack of trust, which is vital in a lawyer-client relationship, can negatively affect your client base, and you may ponder why people are not seeking your services for court-related cases.

I also see lawyers engaged in a rat race to speak at paid conferences, receive paid awards, or feature in paid magazines. Please remember that these vendors, awards, magazines, or paid conferences have likely already approached your competitors. When your clients visit these vendors' websites, it becomes evident that these accolades are often paid for. Let me emphasize that even Forbes magazine engages in these paid promotions.

I would like to appeal to young and aspiring lawyers not to follow this path. Instead of branding yourself simply as a cybercrime/tech lawyer, you should clearly define your specialization within cybercrime. You could become a fintech lawyer, e-commerce lawyer, gaming lawyer, social media lawyer, cyber frauds lawyer, mobile phone specialist lawyer, cryptocurrency lawyer, AI and ML lawyer, cloud lawyer, robotics lawyer, autonomous vehicle lawyer, biotech lawyer, e-contract lawyer, or data protection lawyer, among others.

A cybercrime lawyer is essentially a criminal lawyer with technical knowledge who understands how to apply existing laws and case laws to tech-related crimes. Any non-technically qualified lawyer with a postgraduate degree or diploma in cyber law often struggles to comprehend cybercrime and its technical complexities, leading to potential injustices against their clients.

I believe that all specialist lawyers, including cybercrime and data protection lawyers, should possess two crucial qualities: passion and determination. Passion for the subject matter and the determination to survive in the early days, as well as a commitment to continuous learning about new technologies. Remember that these qualities should be reflected in your personality; they build your character and not only attract clients but also bind them to you.

I am not undervaluing the importance of confidence, which every successful or aspiring lawyer must possess. Confidence and attitude can be developed in your body language, but passion and determination are qualities that endure. The process of nurturing these qualities begins when you enroll in an LLB program.

A modern cybercrime or tech lawyer cannot be an entirely new breed of lawyer but an updated and upgraded version of a lawyer. Remember that a good tech lawyer combines the wisdom of the past

# with the technology of the present.