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37 I L T A N E T . O R G 37 I L T A N E T . O R G FEATURES When I joined the legal tech industry 22 years ago as a finance manager at a deposition management software company, I had no legal background. At first, my understanding of law practice was quite limited. Still, my corporate background allowed me to contribute value quickly, offering new perspectives about managing the business of law. Immersed in the legal industry, I learned quickly. Over the course of two decades, I've worked closely with some of the world's largest law firms to help them solve challenges and deliver resources to train and enable new hires. Here are some strategies for onboarding new legal employees, incorporating them into your firm's culture, and leveraging their corporate background and technology aptitude to help your firm operate more efficiently and effectively. Confidentiality and Ethical Conduct One of the first things law firms should impart to new hires with corporate backgrounds is the heightened standards for maintaining confidentiality, protecting privileged information, and ensuring data security. While new hires are likely already familiar with general best practices, they must also understand the duty in light of legal ethics rules. Ensure new hires recognize their duty within their roles and to the firm's clients. Trust is arguably a law firm's most valuable currency. Clients who lose faith and confidence in the law firm will take their business elsewhere. Most people know that as a primary tenet of holding a license to practice law, lawyers are required by the

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