The technological revolution has influenced every area of our lives, including the field of advocacy. In Brazil and globally, technology has not only affected the legal industry as a whole but has also required legal professionals to acquire new skills and knowledge.
In this article, we will examine the anticipated abilities and viewpoints of professionals in the legal field in Brazil, emphasizing the significance of research and the mapping of skills. Furthermore, we will review a significant research project carried out collaboratively by FGV and Thomson Reuters, which addresses these critical matters.
Familiarize yourself with searching.
The completion of research and the creation of a skills map are essential for identifying and training the appropriate professionals for both current and future needs. This is highlighted in the study by FGV and Thomson Reuters called “Shaping the advocacy of today and tomorrow: skills and performance outlook.”
CEPI, a research center at FGV known for its studies on the impact of technology on the legal field in Brazil, has gained significant recognition for its research. A key focus of their work is examining how technological advancements impact the legal industry.
The study “Exploring current and future advocacy: abilities and viewpoints for action” investigates how the banking sector integrates technology, determines essential skills for legal professionals, and outlines constraints in legal education. Its findings seek to enhance comprehension of theory, address obstacles and prospects in technology integration in law, and influence the future preparation of professionals in the field.
The report emphasizes the key findings achieved by utilizing a mix of literature review, numerical questionnaires, and in-depth interviews.
This method offered a thorough comprehension of the status of advocacy banks in Brazil during technological changes. It also formed the foundation for creating a profile that highlights the essential skills and competencies for legal professionals.
Law firms integrating technology.
The research found that the primary motivation for implementing new technologies was the desire to update operations, as highlighted by all major organizations. Enhancing services (68%) and responding to the increasing use of digital processes (64%) were also significant factors identified in the study.
This shift in technology is a critical milestone in the development of legal services and provides various important advantages.
The modernization of law firms using technology can be seen in the digitization of documents and workflows, which eliminates the need for physical storage space, cuts costs, and improves accessibility.
The quest for information and retrieving data becomes more effective, making the work of lawyers more efficient.
Automating regular tasks is crucial for modernization, utilizing specialized software to automate tasks like document creation, deadline tracking, and contract analysis. This results in time-saving, reduced errors, and enhanced customer service quality.
Discover the top options for managing legal matters in the market.
Technology is crucial in data collection and analysis for improving the quality of productions. Predictive analyses can be utilized by offices to forecast case outcomes using previous case law and statistics, assisting lawyers in giving informed advice to their clients.
Among the research participants, over half of the ear offices (54%) intend to boost their technology investments in 2023, while 32% plan to keep the same level as in 2022. This suggests that 86% of respondents see the strategic significance of these expenditures as valid.
The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant effect on law firms in Brazil, leading to major changes in how lawyers operate and offer legal services due to the fast spread of the virus and social distancing measures.
92% of those surveyed highlighted the significant shift to remote work, with offices transitioning from physical to virtual settings. This change involved utilizing communication tools like video conferencing and online collaboration to ensure effective internal and customer communication, as noted by 83% of respondents.
Scanning documents and legal procedures are now a top priority due to the demand for quick and efficient access to information from any location. This has resulted in the implementation of Electronic Document Management (GED) systems, as highlighted by 87% of respondents.
Between 50% and 70% of the utilization of data protection tools has enhanced customer experience through legal design, visual law, jurimetry, education, and consulting.
The development of new sectors and legal assistance
Approximately 52% of offices in the past five years have seen the emergence of new legal service areas to meet changing customer demands and leverage technology, especially in larger offices where 90% have reported this trend.
The offices focused mostly on data protection (39%) and marketing (35%), with legal design, innovation management, and specific services for legal technology demands also being prominent. Data analysis, programming, and legal operations were also emphasized.
These areas and functions highlight the necessity of having office spaces.
- Adhere to regulations for protecting personal data, like LGPD.
- Improve your communication with clients and prospects.
- Offer innovative and effective legal remedies.
- Utilize technology to enhance your processes and outcomes.
- Strategically handle human, financial, and operational resources.
The primary reason for establishing new departments was customer demand, stated by 33% of the interviewees. This was followed by a focus on service innovation (30%) and enhancing the office’s technological infrastructure (29%). Professional initiative was mentioned in 17% of responses, particularly in larger offices with greater resources to develop new departments in response to internal or external factors.
The study revealed that technology played a significant role in establishing new departments, with 60% of offices having a high influence, 35% having an average influence, and 5% having a low influence. This suggests that technology is a crucial factor for driving innovation and competitiveness in law firms today.
The research highlighted that the banking sector aims to adjust to the evolving requirements of the legal industry, with opportunities for further progress in innovation, technology, and management. Offices that can predict customer trends and requirements are more likely to excel and establish themselves in the global legal landscape.
Skills and competencies needed for advocacy.
Legal skills remain crucial for advocacy, but are no longer enough, as lawyers are also required to enhance their expertise in management, socio-emotional intelligence, and technology to meet the evolving demands of clients and the industry.
Legal skills account for 39% of the overall importance, with management skills at 26%, socio-emotional at 20%, and technological at 15%. The significance of legal skills is crucial in the field, but there is an increasing need for management expertise, including strategic planning, leadership, negotiation, communication, and marketing.
Research is increasingly highlighting the importance of socioemotional skills, such as empathy, building strong customer relationships, emotional regulation, and teamwork. These skills are crucial for effectively managing conflicts, stress, frustration, and mistakes commonly encountered in advocacy work.
Technological skills are seen as the least important category, despite offices increasingly integrating modern tools. This suggests a possible resistance or unawareness of the significance of innovation and adapting to new digital platforms.
Legal knowledge and technology skills were identified as areas where professionals lack development, according to a survey. Technology was particularly emphasized by larger banks, while legal competence was a concern for smaller institutions. Other areas of need included specialization, socio-emotional control, empathy, customer relationships, and management skills.
To address these deficiencies, the firms invest in various types of training for their staff. This includes financing courses for all attorneys, self-training initiatives, and sponsoring courses for specific attorneys. Nevertheless, a quarter of the firms reported lacking a clear training strategy.
Mapping abilities for future advocacy.
The research aimed to examine changes in advocacy and the necessary skills for future lawyers. To achieve this, four essential competencies were identified.
- Legal competencies involve understanding both the theoretical and practical aspects of the law, as well as possessing the skills necessary to practice advocacy.
- Ability to make decisions, utilize resources, and strategize for an organization is referred to as management skills.
- Technological skills refer to mastering and utilizing technological tools and solutions.
- Socioemotional skills encompass qualities associated with communication, emotions, ethics, culture, and behavior.
Legal skills were deemed the most crucial, as indicated on the map, with management skills coming in second at 26%, followed by socio-emotional skills at 20%, and technological skills at 15%.
The interviewees struggled to define legal or technological skills, and provided vague explanations about management skills. In contrast, socio-emotional skills were thoroughly discussed, despite not being highly regarded.
Conclusion
The study explored how advancements in technology affect advocacy, particularly in terms of the training and expertise of legal practitioners. Findings showed that the adoption of technology differs based on the size and location of law offices, influencing the need for particular skills.
Management skills became more important, showing an increase in the professionalization of workplaces.
The future of advocacy is diverse, and professionals will need various skills to succeed in the job market. It is important to continually analyze trends, new areas of focus, and essential skills for success in modern advocacy.
Download the study “Forming present and future advocacy: skills and action perspectives” now to explore collected data thoroughly and create a skills map.