The Thin Line Between LegalTech & LawTech

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The distinction between legal tech and law tech may not seem significant at first glance, as the ultimate goal of technology in the legal field is to increase accessibility. However, despite this and the opinions of some experts in the law and technology sector, the distinction exists and is being embraced.

We now find ourselves at a point where the intersection of law and technology is expanding into three categories: legal technology, law technology, and technology law. As technology gains more attention in legal practice, the terminology and tools will expand as well, making it difficult to keep up. This article clarifies the confusion between legal tech and law tech.

Lawyers and law firms must complete a variety of administrative, financial, communication, research, and other tasks to operate as legal practitioners. LegalTech is the software they use to complete these tasks and operate digitally. Law firms, depending on their size and other factors, use the LegalTech that best suits their needs.

The purpose of LegalTech is to increase performance and efficiency by taking advantage of available technology and completing tasks digitally. Overall, LegalTech supports lawyers and firms in doing their jobs digitally.

Examples of LegalTech include:

● Case management software ● Billing software ● Client relationship management software ● Time tracking software ● Document management systems ● Practice management systems

Joanna Goodman, a journalist and IT columnist for The Law Society Gazette provides a solid foundation for understanding LawTech as distinct from its counterparts. She states that “Now we think of LawTech as a way of delivering law rather than a support service for legal operations.”

So, what does it mean that LawTech is a way of delivering law? This has more to do with where and how the law in itself is practiced, and where and how clients receive legal services, which include contracts, court proceedings, or counsel. For example, when people can download a contract to use for a lease agreement, a will, or other legal documents through a one-time purchase or subscription, this is LawTech at work. This means that lawyers have drafted such a document and uploaded it onto a digital platform, which is then accessible to those who need it on that platform. LawTech makes the law accessible more widely and more quickly.

Another example of LawTech is court proceedings and litigation taking place over video conferencing platforms. This means that the administration of justice is digitized and thus much more accessible. This has been proven during the pandemic, when the need to handle matters was there but, due to restrictions, in-person meetings in a courtroom were not possible. The online court made it much more possible for justice to be administered.

LawTech has less to do with lawyers and firms and more to do with people/clients having access to the administration of law digitally. It is a transformation of how the law is practised and justice administered in such a manner that people can access it through technology.

It is imperative to be cognizant of the distinctions between these concepts, regardless of whether you are an adult simply attempting to get your affairs in order by creating a will from the comfort of your electronic device, a freelancer or a startup business owner trying to obtain affordable contracts, or a student or legal professional looking to venture into the technological side of the legal field. You need to be armed with the foundational knowledge of what type of technology and law firm, resources, and tools to look into to avoid wasting your time surfing for information in irrelevant places. The intersection of law and technology is constantly evolving, and due to its novelty as an integrated practice, making sense of the meaning of certain concepts can be challenging.