Lawyers, whether green or battle-hardened, spend a lot of time navigating the modern office. The modern office has lots of paper, lots of files, lots of emails to contend with, on top of the sheer volume of matters and legal issues to stay on top of - could it all proceed more seamlessly? Regardless of what law you practise, and where you practise, fully harnessing the 21st Century Office promises many returns, whether you wish to increase productivity, spend more time with your family, or build a more collegial and seamless firm culture.

This module covers all the basic know-how you need to start implementing the 21st Century Office ASAP, from explaining how the various technologies work and how to apply them, to how culture is both the cultural glue and foundation from which the 21st Century Office can take off from. Participants will learn methodologies to keep their legal workstreams smooth, light and agile, along with the mental models needed to reframe their problem statements and exploit both innovation and technology.

This module is part of the Graduate Certificate in Law and Technology.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Use key workplace productivity tools to maximise potential
• Understand the importance of workflow systems
• Understand the function of Practice Management systems
• Be familiar with e-discovery tools and their uses
• Be able to formulate a strategy  to go paperless and transform into a truly “smart” office
• Use remote working tools for clients and for internal teams
• Create a Knowledge Management strategy adhering to data management best practices (i.e., how to go from unstructured to structured data)
• Understand Cloud computing and advantages of SAAS
• Understand Robotic Process Automation and where it might be useful

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

• Practicing lawyers and Legal Services Officers
• Paralegals
• Allied Legal Professionals (e.g. Legal Technologists)

PREREQUISITE

• A Bachelor's Degree; or
• A Diploma with at least 3 years of working experience

ASSESSMENT

As part of the requirement for SkillsFuture Singapore, there will be an assessment conducted at the end of the course. Course assessment will be based on classroom exercises and presentation.

CERTIFICATION

Upon meeting the minimum attendance requirement (>75%) and passing the assessment, participants will be awarded a digital Certificate of Participation after each module.

For a complete certificate, participants are required to take 7 out of the 10 modules in accordance to the pathway of their choice. The pathways are created based on job profile and the module requirements for each pathway vary accordingly.

• Innovator: For those looking to transform their practice

- Modules 1, 2, 4, 7, and any three remaining modules

• Researcher: For those interested in frontier issues in technology law

- Modules 1, 5, 6, 7, and any three remaining modules

• Practitioner: For those looking to update themselves on growing areas of practice

- Modules 1, 7, 8, 9, and any three remaining modules

The modules offered under each pathway are organised into the following categories to better facilitate participants’ selection of modules and learning.
 

• Foundation Knowledge
• Legal Technology
• Technology Law
• Impact of Technology on Law

The exact combination will depend on the chosen learning pathway of each individual participant. After selecting their pathway, participants may then choose any other 3 modules for their electives.

Participants without legal training are required to take Module 1, in addition to the 3 core and 3 elective modules, in order to qualify for the full certificate. Module 1 is NOT recommended for those with legal training as it covers basic legal concepts.

SPEAKER

Ian is currently a Managing Associate and Product Manager at Dentons Rodyk, who practises at the intersection of law and technology, using his experience with both law (as it is conventionally practised) and technology (actually programming and designing things). In his latter role, Ian identifies, sources, and implements innovative legal solutions to improve client experiences. In the former role, Ian practises in the Intellectual Property & Technology, and Litigation & Dispute Resolution (specifically, the White Collar Crime & Investigations) practice departments.

Previously, Ian was a Senior Assistant Director at the Legal Technology & Innovation Office, Attorney-General’s Chambers, Singapore. An interdisciplinary lawyer, and certified data scientist and engineer, he developed innovation methodologies and deployed LegalTech solutions for the AGC. Some of the projects he has worked on include the Service Automation platform, and the Legis Code System. The Service Automation platform involved improving service quality and delivery times for workstreams using automation, business process redesign, and innovation methodologies, while the Legis Code System implements a machine- and human-readable referencing standard for all Singapore legislation. Concurrently, Ian advised on technology law issues, and had given talks on the use of AI in LegalTech, as part of the Singapore Legal Service’s Tech Law Cluster.

He was also a Deputy Public Prosecutor that specialised in prosecuting commercial crime, such as large scams, and a State Counsel in the International Affairs Division, where he advised government agencies on public international law matters. He had also been seconded for a short period to the Personal Data Protection Commission.