Gain some valuable insight from some of the judges of the British Legal Technology Awards in this exclusive Q&A. Find out why they chose to become a judge of Europe’s most prestigious legal technology awards and what they believe makes entries stand out and what they are looking for in a winning entry.
Why did you chose to become a judge for the British Legal Technology Awards?
Jacqueline de Rojas: When I look at why the UK attracts more than twice the investment in tech than any other European country, I realise that this is for many reasons including the talent pool and the incredible heritage we have for innovation. But perhaps the biggest is that our legal framework is the most trusted in the world. For me that makes legal tech an incredible opportunity to get involved in. Read Jacqueline’s full Q&A here.
Tim Aspinall: The awards recognise and promote great management. I believe this is important to a firm’s success and should be celebrated. Read Tim’s Full Q&A here.
Andrew Haslam: Because the industry was due a fair and impartial awards ceremony to celebrate achievements and being a judge was a small part of ensure the process was above board. Read Andrew’s full Q&A here.
Jonathan Patterson: I saw it as a great learning opportunity. Being able to work with Jacqueline de Rojas and an array of experts from across the industry was too good an opportunity to miss. I also really enjoy seeing technology innovation really applied by a range of different organisations to deliver results rather than press releases. Read Jonathan’s full Q&A here.
What Key Advice Would you Give to a Company Entering the Awards?
Marcel Henri: Different organizations will enter the awards for different reasons: sales opportunity, brand awareness and promotion, internal team recognition and reward etc. All, however, must recognize that they will need to provide hard metrics and KPI’s, that unequivocally evidence the business impact of their solution or achievement. If you treasure it, measure it! Read Marcel’s full Q&A here.
Jo Owen: To show honesty and openness. Showing how you got to the end result (the product, service etc) and what you learnt along the way. The methods used, how you worked with people. How you are helping drive innovation in our industry and helping lawyers and their clients achieve their goals. I will be particular interested in how entries have considered the bigger picture of community, planet, diversity, mental health etc.
Of course it must be clear how your product / service achieves the desired outcome in a measurable way, but I assume that goes without saying! Read Jo’s full Q&A here.
Ian Jeffery: However good the product or service may be in itself the presentation of it is vital at both the paper and presentation stage. Demonstrating how the technology meets the key requirements for that particular award is vital as is demonstrating stakeholder benefits and all aspects which are genuinely innovative. Read Ian’s full Q&A here.
Peter Owen: Be real! Cut the sales blurb and really show how our company, your service or your product is making a difference. Evidence it properly. Read Peter’s full Q&A here.
What in your Opinion Elevates an Entrant to become a Winner?
Bruna Pellicci: A standout entry would be innovative, something really different. It will have made an impact and created benefits which are clearly measurable. It will have helped to create/improve effectiveness and efficiency. Read Bruna’s full Q&A here.
Sayid Hussein: 3 things really, for me it would have to be unique in it’s offering, outstanding value and has an immediate impact. Read Sayid’s full Q&A here.
Jonathan Patterson: Being able to describe not just a good idea or development but also why it is impactful, different and noteworthy. Read Jonathan’s fill Q&A here.