Law Technology Today From the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center
Antigone Peyton, Chair, Intellectual Property and Technology Law Practice at Protorae Law. Find her on Twitter @antigonepeyton.
How did you become involved in legal tech?
Back in 2003, I got hit with a big litigation with a lot of exotic data types, old backup tapes, retired servers, and way too much data to process. There was no choice but to roll up my sleeves and learn about e-discovery tools, processes, and best practices. I was immediately hooked. This type of project satisfies my inner nerd.
What projects have you been focused on recently?
Updating my own technology tools and processes to use data analytics to gather critical insights into court activities, client information, and our own firm information and activities. Oh, and I’m testing some of those early AI tools with the intention of augmenting my legal work and personal activities (with some success).
Is there a legal tech resource of any kind that you find yourself returning to or that was particularly formative for you?
I will always remember, with great fondness, the early days and the relationships I forged at The Sedona Conference. It was the mid-2000s, and some of the most interesting and thoughtful judges, academics, in-house counsel, and private lawyers I’ve met converged under one association. Our mission was to think about thorny e-discovery issues for the purpose of moving the law and e-discovery education forward within the legal and technical communities. I think we all developed a broader world view and respect for different opinions while developing excellent educational materials, white papers, and best practices that are still cited and used today. It was a unique time and productive effort.
What technology do you think lawyers could look at in a different way that would benefit society?
There are many technologies that lawyers can use that are not necessarily designed for law offices. If we start treating the law like a business and run law offices like businesses, then lawyers (as a species) might feel more fulfilled and productive. In line with this thinking, law offices could learn something from teams that use real project management and collaboration tools to manage internal activities and interactions with clients.
What advice would you give to other women who want to get involved in legal tech?
Get out there, get involved in conferences, associations, and industry meetings. Ask questions and learn from others who do different things. We’re more useful to our clients if we don’t practice law in a silo.
Give a shout-out to another woman in legal tech who you admire or have learned something from!
This is my opportunity to share my admiration for Kelly Twigger, who is also being recognized on this list. Not only is she my sister by another mother (Kelly and I agree on this), but she has a strong entrepreneurial spirit, started an excellent e-discovery case law and education platform, maintains a private practice, blogs, and always has a smile on her face!
Feature image by #WOCinTechChat
