The technology industry is a pioneer’s playground. Industry descriptions elicit a variety of pithy (or droll, depending on your pessimism level) designations such as “cutting edge,” “advancing at breakneck speed,” etc. Regardless of the description, we can all agree that keeping up with the industry’s trajectory is not easy.
To be a competent tech lawyer, you are expected to master two industries: law (which includes honing your analytical skills, remaining attentive to detail in the tightest of deadlines, knowing your clients’ and stakeholders’ desires and risk tolerance, navigating internal corporate department politics, etc.) and technology (now try juggling those challenges while simultaneously gaining engineers’ and innovators’ trust, knowing the lingo, and staying current on trends).
If you are reading this, you likely face the unique set of challenges ascribed to young attorneys who make up anywhere from 13 to 26 percent of the profession. Thirty-six percent can add the additional element of being a female in a male-dominated profession. Notably, both industries receive failing grades for notoriously slow growth in gender equality.