2,500. That was roughly the number of people who attended the 2022 Global Conference in May.  That’s a lot of people to be in a space at one time.  It might also be the first time many people were at a public gathering this large since COVID began in 2020.  All of that to say, there was probably a lot of different emotions running through attendees. For me, it was excitement.

Here I was, a law student at a global conference, in one of the newest and most innovative spaces surrounded by thousands of professionals immersed in legal operations and legal technology.  I entered day one of the conference hardly knowing what legal operations was, how it actually operates in different size companies, and what the day-to-day looks like of a professional in this field.  All I knew was that I was interested in the industry, felt that I had the skills and experience to join these professionals after graduation, and knew that I needed key takeaways to bring to my summer internship program in legal operations to share with the team.

Fast forward several days and I learned that these professionals are not alone in what they do.  From managing a team of one, to five, to fifty, these professionals were able to connect with others and understand that they were also encountering the same challenges.  What seemed to be the best part, though, was that they heard from professionals who scaled and grew an entire department.  They heard what worked, what didn’t work, and what they’re doing now to drive change and improve their companies.

I left the conference inspired and in awe.  The legal operations professionals I met are carving a path.  They’re carving a path for themselves and their company in an industry that is moving full-speed ahead.  This year’s conference was motivating, encouraging, and informational.  As a law student, I left with an action plan of skills I can work on developing while I’m still in school, a vast network of leaders making change, and insight into how different sized legal operations departments operate.

 

Author: Theresa DiCenzo, Campbell Law School and 2022 CLOC Scholarship Recipient

As both a law student and a Project Manager with CLOC, I’ve gained a unique perspective on law school and the rise of legal operations. I’ve been a Project Manager with CLOC for three years, where I’ve helped grow our organization from 40 members to over 2,300 members and have participated in some groundbreaking changes in legal operations. While with CLOC, I’ve also been a law student at Stanford where I’ll be graduating this June.

The last three years have been incredibly valuable not only for introducing me to leaders in the legal industry, but also teaching me about the intersection between legal education and the evolving legal practice. When I reflect on what I’ve learned in law school, I think law schools are great at teaching students black letter law (e.g. contracts, torts, and civil procedure). Increasingly, law schools provide students meaningful clinical and pro bono opportunities and some sense of what it’s like to have real clients. Law school also provides an important sense of community within the legal profession and pushes students outside of their comfort zone, which is critical to our long-term success.

However, it won’t come as a surprise to anyone reading this, that at their core, law schools don’t teach students about the business of law or about our legal ecosystem – what we represent in the CLOC community. We aren’t taught about the synergies between law firms and legal technology providers, or the rise of alternative legal service providers and the evolving role of in house counsel. Classes in people management, business management, or the business of running a law firm aren’t required or even sometimes provided (and many students don’t take advantage of the limited offerings).

The truth is, law school can feel detached from the reality of practicing law. What I’ve discovered during my time with CLOC, is the way that lawyers work, the legal services that are available to clients, and how clients pay for those legal services, are all changing. That’s today’s reality. And, I think that our law school curriculum, at its core, should reflect those changes.

Certainly, some of this comes from experience, but I also think that it’s on the legal ops change-makers, practitioners of the law, and students of the law to challenge our conventional understanding of how the law is taught and how our legal education is provided. Naturally, law schools and business schools should be partners in this endeavor, which is why CLOC is so important. At CLOC we’re all about bringing everyone into the conversation – from academia to the AM Law 100.

For the last four years, CLOC has supported law students and the focus on legal ops training through its scholarship program. Much like CLOC itself, the scholarship program keeps expanding. In May 2019, ten (10) scholarship recipients from a variety of backgrounds across the United States were selected to receive CLOC’s 2019/2020 scholarship. From my experience with CLOC and involvement in the Scholarship Program, I know that those of us who are prepared with the necessary training in the technological and operational side of legal practice are in a much better position to meet and exceed our client’s expectations. Understanding how to practice is just as important as understanding the law itself.

The legal industry has been slow to adopt technology, but that’s changing quickly and CLOC is a testament to that change. Every day, new technology is altering the way that attorneys handle day-to-day operations and anymore, technology and operations skills are not just a “nice to have,” they’re critical for law school graduates to learn and exercise in practice. I’m excited to be a part of the changes that the legal industry is experiencing and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

About the CLOC Scholarship Program

Scholarship recipients from the 2019/2020 year were invited to attend the 2019 Vegas Institute in May 2019. View the impressive selection committee and equally impressive winners of the CLOC 2019 Scholarships. Learn more and apply for a CLOC Scholarship today.