Legal tech competency is different for every legal professional. All attorneys must have BASE skills, but the levels beyond that depend primarily on practice size, administrative role, practice role, and job title. For example, an associate at an AmLaw 100 firm may have a need for enhanced Microsoft application skills to better create, review, and collaborate on their day-to-day work. Alternatively, they might not need more advanced process automation & efficiency or data skills. This means their Microsoft skills should be at the Integrate or Create level, while their data skills would be appropriately skilled in the Know column.
In comparison, the managing partner of a small four-person firm with minimal administrative support and thin profit margins would have very different needs. This attorney would benefit from a graduated command of process automation tools and scenarios. Doing so could save the firm thousands of dollars in support personnel salaries. The partner would also significantly benefit from using data to track efficiency and identify data points for decision-making. In this case, the managing partner would need a minimum Integrate-level skill in both the relevant domains.
As stated above, the levels above BASE are Know, Integrate, and Create. These levels take their origins from Bloom Taxonomy’s hierarchical structure, where higher levels require greater knowledge or intellectual processes.
It is important to note that these levels do not represent levels of greater achievement, only depth of knowledge or need. We chose the cone shape deliberately to represent the number of professionals and the amount of training needed at each level. BASE is the largest level because it represents the skills all legal professionals need. Think of BASE skills as those existing lawyering skills and competencies which now include technical components. Moving up the cone represents a more in-depth knowledge and skills which, in turn, may not be as universally necessary. For example, in developing a law school curriculum, it is likely that a sizable percentage of the student population would benefit from a broad, survey course in legal technology that covers assorted topics at a concept and vocab level. On the other hand, courses that teach more in-depth skills, allowing students to create, will only benefit and appeal to a more specialized and, thereby, smaller part of the student population.
-
Know – this knowledge level represents a surface-level knowledge of the indicated topic area. Just knowing tiny amounts about legal tech topics can be incredibly helpful. Knowing a technology or tech solution exists is the first step in identifying solutions.
-
Integrate – This level goes beyond knowledge of a tech topic or solution. The integrate level allows students and practitioners to integrate technology into their current practices to do things like to improve processes and work more efficiently or effectively.
-
Create – This is the smallest, most specialized, and the highest level of tech competency. This level of knowledge allows users to create or conceptualize solutions using tech in these areas.
