Meet the women at the forefront of legal technology in Australia as they tell their stories of success and challenges along with advice for future generations.
Our latest event brought together a group of highly influencial women to share their stories with a captivated audience full of aspiring women within the industry. As part of our monthly event series, we bring together successful individuals from different backgrounds who have climbed their way to the top. We’re sharing their words of advice, which not only apply to Legal Technology, but for all women aspiring to advance their career in male-dominated industries.
It’s all about aptitude and attitude
The top qualities employers see in candidates are not necessarily their qualifications or years of experience. Although these are still valuable to one’s career advancement, most employers are looking for the right personalities and skillsets that fit within the company culture.
Back Yourselves
Know your capabilities and limitations, work to bridge that gap, and encourage others to take a chance on you.
Ask Questions
Those who aren’t afraid to ask questions will rise to the top faster than those who don’t. Curiosity is encouraged and not seen as a weakness.
Follow your passion, not the herd
It is easy to get caught moving with the herd through law school as the direct path that one is advised to take has become more narrow throughout the years. With hundreds of of graduates coming out with the same degree, why not stand out like a black sheep and pick the niche you are passionate about?
Jackie Orchard
Jackie has been in the technology industry for more than 20 years and most recently, she has led the establishment of Westpac’s eDiscovery Division and saw it win ‘Legal IT Team of the Year’ in the prestigious Lawtech Summit Awards.
Jackie was a finalist in 2017 in the Westpac Women of Influence Awards for her actions influencing others to innovate, particularly her work in service innovation and in the eDiscovery space
Tanya White
Tanya has worked in the Legal Technology industry for 13 years. She has been involved in the management and execution of large scale litigations, insolvencies and Royal Commissions and large transactions using virtual deal rooms.
The last 10 years has seen her building and managing internal legal technology teams for three leading law firms all with very different strategies, setups and requirements.
Lyria Bennett Moses
Lyria is Director of the Allens Hub for Technology, Law and Innovation and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at UNSW Sydney focussing on the relationship between technology and law.
Lyria is currently leading the Data to Decisions CRC, exploring legal and policy issues surrounding the use of data and data analytics for law enforcement and national security. She teaches a course on “Designing Technology Solutions for Access to Justice”, sponsored by Gilbert + Tobin, an opportunity for law students to learn how to build legal information systems.
Shengshi Zhao
Shengshi is a NSW admitted lawyer passionate about technology. She graduated as a BSc in Actuarial Mathematics before finishing her J.D. She holds various professional certifications such as certified scrum master, PRINCE2, CFE, Nuix eDiscovery specialist and Relativity Certified Admin.
She is passionate about the innovative application of technology in the legal world and she continues to learn new tools and new methodologies. She leads a team by knowledge sharing and encouraging team members to invent new ways on their own.
Rebecca Grant
Rebecca is the founder and CEO of icourts. Over the last 17 years she has delivered technology solutions for 25 Royal Commissions and state-based Commissions of Inquiry across Australia and the UK pioneering the deployment and evolution of electronic courtrooms and the uptake of electronic evidence management.
Rebecca is a technology evangelist and each day through icourts is working to change the way technology is used in the practice of law.
Join us for our next event!
With a different event lined up every month, we aim to bring together networks of people who share common ground and open the opportunity to network, share, and collaborate with one another. At Sonder, we know that everyone has a story to tell and we can only learn from one another. Get in touch today to share yours.
