Women in LegalTech: Breaking in, Standing out with Vaishali and Khushboo- Event Recap

Admin ILTN
Nov 8
4 min read

This month’s Women in LegalTech session brought together two dynamic voices shaping the future of LegalTech — Khushboo Singh, Legal Operations & Technology Specialist, and Vaishali Gopal, Legal Designer & Innovation Strategist. Moderated under the Women in LegalTech vertical of the Indian LegalTech Network (ILTN), the discussion focused on how professionals can carve out meaningful, transferable, and future-ready careers in LegalTech.

The discussion quickly moved beyond roles and titles. It became an honest reflection on how professionals can shape a meaningful career in LegalTech — not just by chasing buzzwords, but by understanding skills, mindsets, and adaptability.

Here are the most important insights from that session reframed for anyone exploring the intersection of law, technology, and innovation.

1. LegalTech Is Not One Career, It’s an Ecosystem

The first misconception discussed was the idea that “LegalTech” is a single job or linear path. In reality, it’s an ecosystem that spans multiple disciplines.

There are product organizations that build tools for legal teams, in-house departments driving transformation, consulting firms advising on change, and law firms experimenting with legal innovation. Each represents a valid — and vastly different — entry point.

Think of LegalTech as a landscape, not a ladder. Identify which side of the ecosystem excites you: building, implementing, advising, or optimizing. Once you know that, you can map your path accordingly.

2. Transferable Skills Are the Real Competitive Advantage

Across every LegalTech role, a handful of skills reappear: process thinking, problem-solving, communication, and adaptability.

Having a “process mindset” means understanding how things work before trying to improve them. Problem-solving means diagnosing the real issue instead of reacting to symptoms. And communication isn’t about talking more — it’s about tailoring your message depending on your audience, whether it’s leadership, peers, or clients.

Forget the obsession with job titles. Build the skills that move with you — skills that make you useful anywhere, in any team, in any role.

3. Storytelling Is the Next-Level Skill for Lawyers

One powerful insight was that communication in LegalTech isn’t just about precision, it’s about narrative. The ability to explain complex workflows, pitch ideas, or advocate for technology adoption requires structured storytelling.

Even in internal roles, professionals need to communicate in ways that build understanding and influence decisions. Slides and memos alone don’t do that — stories do.

Storytelling is not decoration; it’s persuasion. Whether you’re building a product or championing change, learn to tell the story of “why it matters.”

4. Project Management Is a Life Skill, Not Just a Role

Another point emphasized was the universality of project management. It’s the invisible framework that makes every LegalTech role effective, from product development to legal ops.

Understanding timelines, ownership, dependencies, and reporting metrics isn’t optional; it’s essential for execution. It’s also how teams demonstrate impact.

If you want to lead innovation, first learn to manage execution. Delivering reliably is the best way to earn trust and grow your influence.

5. LegalTech Roles Are Diverse — But Interconnected

The conversation broke down the core archetypes of LegalTech roles:

Product roles, focused on problem identification and prioritization.
Solution consulting, where credibility and client engagement are key.
Operations, focused on performance, KPIs, and continuous improvement.
Consulting, where strategy meets communication and market awareness.

Each role draws on the same foundation — analytical clarity, process understanding, and relationship management.

Different titles, same DNA. Every LegalTech role involves connecting law, logic, and systems thinking.

6. Impact Is Measured in Business Terms

One of the most significant mindset shifts required in LegalTech is linking legal work to its organisational impact. It’s not enough to automate a task or digitize a workflow — what matters is how it affects cost, efficiency, or risk.

Understanding this connection turns LegalTech professionals from executors into strategists.

Always ask: How does this process improve a key metric? If you can’t connect your work to a business goal, you’re solving the wrong problem.

7. You Don’t Need a Tech Background — But You Need Tech Fluency

A recurring question from participants was whether one needs coding or AI skills to work in LegalTech. The answer: not necessarily.

Modern no-code tools have lowered the barrier to entry. What matters more is the ability to frame the right problem, understand how technology supports it, and communicate effectively with technical teams.

You don’t have to build the tool — but you must understand how it works and what it can (and can’t) do.

8. Learning Happens by Doing

One of the most practical takeaways was that LegalTech is not learned through reading, but through building and experimentation. Trying a new tool, running a small automation, or joining a cross-functional project can teach more than any course.

Start where you are. Test, iterate, and learn in public. Momentum matters more than mastery.

9. The Bigger Picture: Law Meets Systems Thinking

Ultimately, the discussion pointed to a deeper insight — that LegalTech is about systems, not software. Understanding how people, processes, and tools interact is more important than adopting the newest tech stack. The lawyers who thrive in this field are not just interpreters of law, but architects of how law gets delivered.

The goal isn’t to make law faster — it’s to make it better. Building systems that are efficient, human-centered, and scalable is the real frontier of innovation.

Final Thoughts

The future of law won’t just be written in legislation or contracts — it will be built in workflows, platforms, and tools. For those exploring LegalTech, the message was clear: start small, think systemically, and learn across disciplines.

The professionals who thrive in this ecosystem are not those who wait for the perfect opportunity, but those who create it — one problem, one process, one prototype at a time.