This is Allens

Alice

I developed an interest in legal technology and automation through my studies and early career experiences. When the Allens Legal Transformation Graduate role came up on LinkedIn, I just thought 'This is it' and applied.

Landing the role was definitely a pivotal moment for me this year. It marked the beginning of my non-traditional legal career, and the start of my transition from study to full-time work in a professional world. It's been exhilarating. I've had the chance to work with a group of exceptionally talented, creative and experienced professionals in both the Legal Project Management team and the Innovation Centre. The learning curve has been steep, but I've been empowered and supported at every turn.

I've loved the variety of work the program has exposed me to – from being embedded on matters and supporting legal teams in managing matters effectively, through to thinking about how we can drive the adoption of legal technology tools and ideas across the firm.

One of the exciting projects that I'm part of is a digital skills program to enable all Allens people to accelerate their understanding of, and ability to leverage, digital solutions and emerging technologies. It's about staying ahead of the curve and being proactive – seeing how those technologies may impact or shape the future of not just legal work but of how legal business professionals operate. The goal is to equip our people with the skills necessary to adopt and effectively use digital tools like Airlie, but also to understand and be able to articulate their value. It's a very exciting program, and a deliberate investment in our people's professional and personal growth.

I've received so much support from my peers, other law grads, team members and my performance coaches. This inclusive and supportive work environment has enabled me to confidently express my thoughts and ideas, ask questions and take the initiative. I think these things are really important to my personal and professional growth. I genuinely feel like every day is a building block for me, shaping the next phase of my professional journey.

Liz

One of the moments I loved most in legal practice was when new graduates joined. They refresh and rejuvenate your team, and Alice has absolutely done that for us in Legal Project Management.  

It's been exciting to have access to a different perspective on the problems we're trying to solve. Alice has brought so many fresh and creative ideas, which have really stretched our thinking and sparked new conversations.

Clients are asking their legal providers for more insights, data and reporting on their matters than ever before. While traditionally lawyers would liaise with the relevant teams within the firm to respond to those client requests, what we're seeing now is specialist teams like mine taking on that aspect of matter management, and freeing our lawyers up to focus on matter strategy, advice and excellent client service.

It's also been exciting to see more people – like Alice – deliberately pursue a career in legal technology, and seek to develop the very specialised skills and knowledge that are needed to support client teams in this way. The Legal Transformation Graduate program is an investment in building an ongoing pipeline of specialist legal transformation and technology professionals, which we know is crucial to future success in our rapidly changing profession.

Our team has embraced Alice so wholeheartedly, and we are very keen to see what impact future Legal Transformation Graduates will have on the way we support our legal teams to respond to clients' changing needs.