Why Yegal is talking about legal tech

Last month, a legal technology company called Harvey raised US$550 million. The raise valued the company at US$15.5 billion.

I saw the news in a LinkedIn post. The post made a simple point. Three years ago, no lawyer had heard of Harvey.

That stuck with me. Many lawyers still haven’t heard of it today. Among the law students in my network, the number is even higher. These are the students I’m trying to place into jobs. Most of them could not tell you what Harvey does.

That gap got me thinking. What will the legal profession look like in five years? In ten? And are the young people entering it ready?

The interview that changed my thinking

Shortly after, something happened that answered part of that question.

I introduced a final-year law student to a general counsel at a leading financial services firm. The role was a contract paralegal position. The student was impressive. Strong grades. Polished. Thoughtful.

The first interview went well. The candidate made a great first impression.

The second interview went differently. The general counsel asked a simple question: “Have you used Microsoft Copilot? Do you know what it is?”

The student couldn’t answer.

It cost them the job.

One story, but a real lesson

I don’t think this one experience reflects every final-year student in Australia. Many students are curious about technology. Some are already using these tools well. You also need different types of skills to be a good lawyer. It's not all about tech. Don't get me wrong.

Either way, the lesson for me was clear. Employers now expect graduates to know the tools of the trade. Not just the law.

That student had done everything their degree asked of them. They had studied contracts, torts, evidence and procedure. Nobody had told them that a question about Copilot might matter as much as a question about case law.

It does now.

What this means for students

Law students need to follow legal technology closely. In some ways, almost as closely as their core subjects.

That doesn’t mean becoming a software engineer. It means knowing what the main tools are. Knowing what they do. Having tried them. Being able to talk about them with confidence in an interview.

The firms and legal teams hiring today are already using AI. They are drafting with it. Reviewing documents with it. Summarising files with it. They want juniors who can work alongside these tools from day one.

A graduate who can do that has an edge. A graduate who can’t is at risk of being left behind, however strong their marks.

Why Yegal is doing this

Yegal places law students into legal roles. Our job is to put great candidates in front of great employers. That job has changed.

It’s no longer enough to send a strong CV. We need to send candidates who are ready for the way legal work is done now.

That’s why we started this blog. Each month, we’ll profile at least one legal technology tool. We’ll show what it does, how lawyers are actually using it, and why it matters. We’ll focus on real use, not marketing claims or hype videos.

The goal is simple. When the next Yegal candidate is asked, “Do you know what this is?”, we want them to say yes. And then explain how they’d use it.

Where to start

If you’re a law student or early-career paralegal, start small. Try the tools you already have access to. Read about the ones you don’t. Follow the news. Ask the lawyers you work with what they use.

And read this blog. We’ll do some of the legwork for you.

The profession is changing faster than most law degrees. The students who keep up will be the ones who get hired.