The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/96072
best practices Starting and Sustaining a Career As a Legal IT Professional by Jared Coseglia of TRU Staffing Partners A career as a legal IT support staff professional is an incredibly demanding, increasingly competitive and continually evolving occupation. The landscape of today's law firm job market is vastly different from a decade ago. Marked by law firm consolidations, momentous advances in technology, a sudden abundance of nonpracticing lawyers available to hire and good oldfashioned professional politics, today's legal staffing outlook is rife with opportunity. As you endeavor to begin and sustain a career as a legal IT support professional, there are strategic, practical and tactical keys to success that you should consider. Know Technology, Talk Technology The integration of technology into the daily practice of law has changed the landscape of the Am Law 200. Technologies from online billing and matter management to e-discovery now play an elevated role in the way law firms generate revenue, spend and save money, manage operations and win cases. Technology drives efficiency (and vice versa) and — in a law firm more than anywhere — time is money. All legal support staff, from secretaries to partners to litigation support, must utilize technology to provide better service. However, mastering the technology is only half the battle. 14 Peer to Peer The real opportunity for a legal IT support professional lies not just in having expertise in the technology, but in being able to talk about the technology. More and more jobs require extensive face-to-face and telephone interaction with partners, associates and clients in order to provide leadership and quality assurance regarding legal technology. Some legal technology professionals may look to develop these soft skills, while others who already have these skills must sharpen their hands-on technical expertise. This intersection of strong communication skills and technological experience is where the greatest demand exists professionally in today's legal support market. It is also where the market lacks sufficient supply; therefore, these kinds of roles command increasingly high salaries. Acquire Some Experience For years there was a "Catch-22" when it came to breaking in to legal technology. Law firms wanted candidates who already had the skills — often including experience with brand-specific technologies or previous law firm experience — who could hit the ground running, making it very difficult to get started in the field. That is still true in some cases, but the availability of education and training, coupled with the demand on hiring managers to find less expensive talent as salaries escalate, has created a rare, but very viable, window of