A few years back, combining the operations of a legal professional with technology was a slow development. But the advent of Covid has helped fast track the possibilities underlying the role of technology in shaping the legal industry.
Today, smart lawyers are fast embracing the use of technology to keep up with the trend and stay relevant in the sector.
With Legal X, a mobile application to solve certain problems within the legal industry, it has become quite easy to access a platform where anyone can get lawyers who fit into their niche anywhere they are in the world, Inemesit Dike, founder and CEO, the Legal X explained during Nairametrics’ Business Half Hour programme.
“Look at legal X as Uber; it is basically having lawyers in a gig format and at your service anywhere you go just like the ride-hailing app would help you access transportation. It is designed to be affordable, less strenuous and fast in terms of getting lawyers. Legal X gives you that opportunity to get legal service providers around in any industry.
“The mobile application allows lawyers to practice as far as you are taught in the Nigerian bar. With that application you can practice, it doesn’t matter whether you move to the state or to Europe, you can still provide legal services,” she said.
In addition, she added that the platform could serve as a means for lawyers to earn additional fees. “We also saw the need to help young lawyers to improve their remuneration scope because young lawyers complain they earn so little. We found a way that while these lawyers are living in any part of the country, they can still operate and augment whatever they earn from their law firm.”
Speaking on the impact that Covid had on the industry, Inemesit said that the legal industry became more aware of the need to use technology in providing legal services as a result of the pandemic, adding that that breakthrough became quite easier after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“After Covid, tech has become a buzz word but how many of us actually know how to handle this tech once these clients come in? There is a huge labour force in the legal system that has moved from the western world and is not coming to Africa. It has moved to Kenya despite the fact that we are the largest bar in West Africa. We have very good lawyers here but we need to build an ecosystem of lawyers who understand this confluence of law; you are offering business resolution to your client not just legal-based solutions, you are providing technology-based solutions to your client,” she said.
The application of technology to give lawyers the freedom to practice wherever they are is a huge challenge and also educating the lawyer on how to use this technology.
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