Breaking into Legal Tech

New / Legal
AFWV78

New Legal

AFWV78
Mar 1 9 Comments

How does one break into legal tech in NYC without big law?

I’m barred in NY. After law school, I worked in-house at a small company in NYC for low pay. Six months later, I founded a legal tech company. A few years later, I said bump the low pay and non-human hours and started clerking for the feds. I clerked for four years for ALJs, and now I’m clerking at a U.S. District Court. I’m about to hit the 18-month mark so I think it’s time to move on. This journey leaves me ten years (in May) out of law school and aged out of big law.

What to do? Anyone know someone who had a somewhat similar background? Any leads?
#counsel #legal

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TOP 9 Comments
  • Investment Bank
    Glinda

    Investment Bank

    PRE
    HP
    Glinda
    Have you thought about joining a legal tech firm as a product manager? As an attorney, you will have the organizational and communications skills essential in a good PM.

    Another position where you could use your legal background is working in software mergers & acquisitions in a sales or client-services position.

    Your law degree can be just as valuable as an MBA, if not more so, in most business roles.
    Mar 2 4
    • Samsung
      fRFh70

      Go to company page Samsung

      fRFh70
      Yeah I agree with beagledood, you’re going to need some law firm experience before in-house. Clerking is mainly relevant to lit and you’d probably need some lit training at a firm before you’re of interest to a tech company, and you might even need to do small firm -> bigger firm before in-house. So it’s a ladder that you would have to climb, but it’s definitely doable over a somewhat longer timeframe.
      Mar 6
    • SAP
      yeKf72

      Go to company page SAP

      yeKf72
      Have you considered a career in data privacy? I see a lot of attorneys and people with a legal background in data privacy roles and the pay scales are decent.
      Mar 7
  • I’d apply for mid-level litigation roles in-house. Since you don’t have firm or in-house experience, that will likely set you back a bit in terms of level/title you’d be a match for - so go for ones that seek 5-7 YOE.
    Mar 1 2
    • New / Legal
      AFWV78

      New Legal

      AFWV78
      OP
      That would work for me. I’ll start looking for those.
      Mar 2
    • New
      rCQT28

      New

      rCQT28
      @OP: Consider commercial counsel, compliance counsel, product counsel roles at startups
      Mar 6
  • New
    maejor

    New

    maejor
    Data privacy is very niche! We have it as a core practice in the firm but it's difficult to find a sweet spot for market.
    Mar 9 0