Keep innovating at the speed of tech: Introducing Sherika Ponniah, CLI Distinguished Fellow
Sherika Ponniah, Deputy Head of Legal Content at Wolters Kluwer, has been appointed as a Distinguished Fellow of the Centre for Legal Innovation. Having participated as an Innovation Incubator Resident at Macquarie University, Sherika launched My Legal Marketplace as a niche legal marketplace for women lawyers, offering specific legal services for fixed fees. The start-up was launched in response to the increasing number of women lawyers striking out as sole practitioners and who also wanted to embrace flexible working conditions.
“When the Centre for Legal Innovation announced a Distinguished Fellowship specifically focused on Diversity & Inclusion, I knew I wanted to be part of it. I have a particular personal connection to helping women, particularly mothers, thrive in the law. Being a mother of three young children myself, and of a culturally diverse background, I knew first-hand that for women to be able to stay in the law and create a sustainable career, structures and mindsets had to change. As such, I started work on a start-up to encourage new work for women lawyers and that interest and passion led to this Distinguished Fellowship.”
As the Deputy Head of Legal Content at Wolters Kluwer, Sherika has been at the forefront of digital change and the creation of tools and information solutions for lawyers.
“My role has meant being at the apex of both substantive law and tech advancements with a focus on coming up with new ways to make content speak to different ways of working and new generations of lawyers. As noted earlier, I am also a keen entrepreneur, trying different concepts for service delivery in law and content – with a particular focus on the female audience. My interest and involvement in start-ups includes continuing to work with the Macquarie University Innovation Incubator and as an alumna of the Elevacao program.”
Sherika’s 360-degree view of the law has been shaped by the diversity of her experience – from being a Judge’s Associate to private practice, working in lawtech and legal publishing, she has experienced and understands the challenges of the profession from many different angles.
As a CLI Distinguished Fellow, Sherika will focus on exploring diversity, improving inclusion and understanding their role in and relationship to innovation in legal practice.
“Research shows that diversity is a key ingredient for innovation. The work I will undertake for this Fellowship will include looking at ways to enhance current models, hack out ideas and propose new ways of advancing the agenda for diversity as a means for innovation.
Sherika is excited by what she might achieve as a CLI Distinguished Fellow.
“I am really looking forward to being part of the CLI Distinguished Fellowship community, to share ideas, build bridges and effect change. I am honoured to be a pioneer in this program and advance the diversity agenda through it.
“CLI has a very important role in generating ideas and providing a platform for lawyers and all legal professionals to stay abreast of a very rapidly changing area. Just one takeaway from a CLI event that can be applied to a specific practice type or area of law can assist people and move the legal industry forward. The CLI Distinguished Fellowship program will be instrumental in bringing to light these new areas of focus and ensure the law and all legal practitioners can keep innovating and moving at the speed that tech is moving.”