Sharon Eacott – General Counsel & Company Secretary, Alinta Energy

There is lot of discussion about potential winners and losers from digital disruption in the legal industry.

For Sydney-based corporate lawyer Sharon Eacott, one group of beneficiaries will be individuals with legal needs who are unable to access affordable justice.

“Access to the legal profession can be made more cost effective through technology. Disruption and innovation should improve access to the law,” says Eacott, who recently joined national electricity and gas giant Alinta Energy as general counsel and company secretary.

“There is a huge need among people who have legal problems in their life. Whether it is a family issue, a neighbour dispute or maybe they are just in trouble with the law.”

As a board member of the College of Law’s new Centre for Legal Innovation, Eacott contributes a deep understanding of the different parts of a multi-faceted profession. She established her career as a partner at Herbert Smith Freehills.  Now she is on the client side, heading a large in-house legal team.  She has always given back to the community by volunteering at free legal centres and doing pro-bono work.

“The amount of pro-bono work done in the legal profession is quite high, but we need to distribute that knowledge more widely.  To create something which is more accessible would be a great way technology and innovation could improve access to justice.”

“We have Airtasker where people get help with a particular need.  We could create a similar network of socially-minded lawyers or people with a legal background to look into matters and answer questions,” Eacott says.

Eacott gives the example of a dispute between a tenant and a landlord.  “A landlord is sending notices threatening to evict a tenant.  It is important the tenant can approach someone and say I’m having this problem, where do I go?  What are my next steps? Legal advice in these situations is very practical - helping people to get to the next step. The London-based startup RentersUnion which provides a chatbot to assist with a number of tenancy related issues is a step in this direction.  We need more of this sort of support for people.”

Eacott believes technology can also be a friendlier and less intimidating way for people to interact with legal professionals, breaking down the intimidation that acts as a barrier to justice.

“There is a perception lawyers are highly intellectual and rather scary people.  Maybe we can change that. People are comfortable using apps and communicating electronically, so engaging through technology may remove the discomfort and apprehension many feel when accessing the legal system,” says Eacott.

Another of her priorities is nurturing the next generation of legal leaders.  She likes to help young lawyers understand the changing nature of legal work and what to expect from the profession they are joining.

“I tell young lawyers their careers will look very different to the people they will be learning from.  I’m very clear that I can teach them to be a good lawyer, but the way that I do things is not necessarily the way it will be done in five or 10 years’ time.”

“I recently had a conversation with a new graduate whose response really impressed me.  In her spare time she was learning coding and was very open about what her future career may hold.”

“But for some young lawyers innovation will be a threat. They will be the ones who can’t see the opportunities or are unwilling to adapt to ensure they are ahead of the curve.”

Eacott is excited by her role with the Centre for Legal Innovation and the role it will play within the profession.

“Uncertainty and fear are created when you feel you are on your own, or there is a vacuum of information.  So what the Centre does is fantastic. It is a forum where people can come together and share ideas and talk about some new concepts.”

She stresses the importance of the Centre engaging with the regulators such as the law societies and the legal practice boards in each state.

“It’s a bit like Uber,” she says. “There is always a risk regulations will become out of step with the changes in the sector.  The Centre can facilitate a more innovative approach to the way lawyers are employed, the training associated with being a lawyer, and how costings occur – all of which are positive contributions to the profession.”

“Whether it’s through improved efficiency or more collaborate relationships, innovation in the law is about removing the time spent on things that aren’t really valued by the end user of the service.”

“Technology and innovation will allow lawyers to focus on areas which I personally find more interesting, such as contributing to strategy and taking a high-level view of things.”

“Innovation for its own sake? Well nobody really needs that.  Innovation should make people’s lives better,” says Eacott.