Filling the Void of Junior-Level Talent in Legal IT

Written by Geoff Zodda  | 20 October 2011

As a recruiter who specializes in the Legal Technology profession, I am fortunate to speak with CIOs and IT Directors at many of the top law firms in the country on a regular basis. These industry leaders provide me with insight on what is at the forefront of legal technology, but also with the perspective on the strengths and, more importantly, what is lacking in the talent pool that ultimately helps their respective firms compete with the latest IT trends. One of the more notable and often-repeated observations I hear from top law firm IT executives and managers is the seeming lack of high-quality junior-level talent within the industry.

(The term “junior-level” is being used here to define the demographic of individuals with 0-3 years of professional information technology experience.) With Legal IT hiring continuing its torrid pace in 2011 and into 2012, hiring authorities are turning to the recently graduated to fill their lower-salaried, entry-level technology roles.

However, they are often forced to hire candidates who require substantial training and resources, or to make bad hires of candidates whose experience and skills far exceed the needs of the position and will likely springboard into a higher-level role at their first chance.

A few initial reasons come to mind to explain this void. First, legal technology is a niche area. Second, when someone starts his or her career in another industry or is just graduated from school, it is rare for that individual to be exposed to legal industry-specific technologies. And, third, whether it is legal-specific applications, litigation support, or in-house databases, certain aspects of a firm’s technology make it more difficult and costly to get junior talent in-house and up to speed.

"Unless they have an interest in the law or have been exposed previously, legal technology is not typically on their radar," said William Caraher, CIO of von Briesen & Roper, a Midwest law firm. Caraher further asserted, "College graduates who focused studies on technology want to conquer the world of what's hot right now; they want to land roles in hot start-ups and Social Media companies. If those are not viable options, they scout out positions in the mainstream where they can feel like their contributions also help with business strategy."

Though most students graduating with a Computer Science- or Information Technology-related degree have a broad foundation of business technologies, the majority of technologies utilized in the legal field often require practical application and hands-on experience in a similar environment in order to be impactful to a firm's needs.

Candidates looking to start a career in the legal IT field are often faced with the conundrum of having the right education but no relevant experience. So, how do you get the experience the Firm needs if no one will hire you so you can get that experience? Firms usually do not take a risk on individuals without much experience. Even when considering technical candidates that have a solid background and education, many law firms are unwilling to take that chance. Attorneys have incredibly high standards and expectations, and demand excellence immediately. One letdown or misstep and you could be out the door as fast as you came in it.

Caraher also noted, "Technical problems will happen anywhere and most attorneys understand that. But a failed sense of urgency or disconnect in expectations between attorneys and the junior ranks will bring unwanted attention and negative sentiment towards IT. Law firm CIOs want a solid technology team that continually meets everyone’s needs and exceed their expectations." Legal IT positions bring additional challenges to junior-level employees that cannot be taught in college or in new-hire training, which is to suggest professional maturity is as critical a skill in a law firm environment as one's passion for technology.

The legal industry is one that is very time centric; you have to take into account the environment, demands and specific needs of the users. Many times attorneys are reacting to extreme client demands, so the level of response and attention to details of the IT team, particularly at the first levels of support, directly affects the effectiveness and efficiency of workflow of the legal staff. Evette Pastoriza, Director of Information Technology at Clifford Chance US LLP, suggests, “While the requirements at junior levels aren't that different from those outside of the Legal sector, many firms prefer to hire individuals with prior law firm experience. These folks are believed to better understand the culture and expectations. However, qualified candidates with strong basic skills and the right personalities can be brought successfully into this type of environment.”

For those who lack law firm experience but want to get into that environment, is it critical to understand how significant a role technology plays in a firm’s day-to-day operations, the rest can be taught.

A seemingly logical solution to make junior-level IT talent a more viable option for law firms to consider, for those that do not already do so, is to offer internship programs within their Information Technology groups. This could consist of opportunities to shadow more experienced legal IT professionals during the summer or even part-time during the academic year, where the interns take basic, Level I Help Desk or Desktop Support calls. This will slowly get these professionals used to the environment, technologies, and various personalities and expectations within the firm, and, like many internships, can be offered unpaid, which provides many benefits to both the Firm and the individual.