Flo Shaw: ‘Intellectual agility and eagerness to learn are the attributes that we have in common’

Author: Daria Bahlai

Technology is continuing to shape the legal industry landscape. The recent report by Clio states that 96% of UK law firms have incorporated AI into various aspects of their work. What does the future of legal practice look like? How can aspiring lawyers prepare for it? I asked Flo Shaw, Legal Technologist at Addleshaw Goddard.

Daria Bahlai: What was your pathway to law?

Flow Shaw: When I was nineteen, I went to the University of York to study law and soon decided it was not for me. I assumed that I was not ready for it. I started working at a countryside pub, initially as a bartender. When a kitchen role became available, I decided to give it a try. I ended up loving it and stayed in the position for several years.

After a while, I reconsidered my decision. I could not see myself waking up in twenty or thirty years and still wanting to be a chef. I reapplied to York and went back to study law as a mature student. I realised there was a reason for my initial choice. I did a four-year degree, including one year in Singapore, as a part of the student global exchange programme, and enjoyed this experience very much!

Why did you choose legal tech? Were there any areas of law you were interested in?

I did not do any technology modules at the university. I had never heard of the term legal tech. I wanted to be a family law barrister. My dissertation was around family law, and I enjoyed it the most as a subject. After graduation, I realised that I did not want to go down this route and further engage with academia. It was, and is, a long and expensive pathway, looking for pupillages under immense time pressure. I began exploring training contracts, but my heart was not in it. I approached every application form thinking: ’How am I supposed to write why I want to do a training contract if I do not want to?’.

And then?

Then, I came across the Innovation Graduate Scheme. I had never seen anything like it before. This fusion of creativity, innovation, and technology sparked my interest. It sounded great, and it is! I had mixed feelings when I saw that this opportunity was advertised by Addleshaw Goddard. I thought it was one of those big-name law firms that students view as generally unattainable. Over time, I realised that you artificially create this perception in your head; it does not usually reflect the true nature of things.

The process involved several rounds. Generally, you complete the initial application and some follow up tasks at the next stage. If selected, you receive an invitation to an assessment centre, where you participate in a mix of interviews and tasks.

At the time, I had taken the job at a solicitors’ firm in Harrogate because I convinced myself that I would never get into AG. I was working as a receptionist, preparing to do some conveyancing experience. Then I received an email from AG saying: ‘Congratulations, you have made it to the assessment centre!’. It was intimidating, but no more than it would be at any other job interview. The set up of the day made this feel less intimidating and once we got going the structure helped me be myself. Because of this I felt that being authentic was my best shot, and I got the job.

What does the scheme include?

Currently, the scheme lasts two years. You go around six pillars of the AG’s Innovation Group. Rotating across them as if you were doing a training contract in different seats, you get a deeper understanding of the type of work each team is involved in. I was a part of the first cohort, made up of ten graduates. We have just run our 2025 process, for which we received over 500 applications.

What type of work does a legal technologist do?

A legal technologist uses their innovative thinking to implement the technology at the law firm, internally and externally. I am in the Research and Development team. For example, lawyers in the real estate team may spend long hours manually reviewing contracts. This would be raised as a problem we want to solve, or to work out how we can support that team deliver differently.

To do this, I would first research the technology already available within the firm, thinking about how I can assist lawyers in using it on their work. If we do not have the tech on board, I might think whether we can build it. If not, can we purchase anything available on the market to address that problem? It sounds relatively simple, but you must be selective; it is a challenge to navigate the saturated technology market and choose the product that perfectly aligns with your goals, as well as balancing what specific problems you spend your time on and making sensible decisions about where to buy vs build technology.

Other teams are involved in different types of work. Our Internal Efficiency team looks at how we can streamline processes across the law firm. Our Legal Technology Consulting team advises external clients on their own technology journey, specialising in providing solutions to problems businesses face in their day-to-day operations.

Does this job involve any particular challenges?

It is a fast-paced environment. When you first come into the legal tech world, especially if you have not had much experience with it – like me – you must be prepared to digest a lot of information. I can master a particular tool, but there is always an emerging alternative or a new set of features for you to explore. It becomes second nature. As you progress, you learn the functionality of legal tech tools, and you can almost instantly recommend the best solution to any lawyer who approaches you.

Some people may struggle to keep up to date with hot topics in the legal tech market. We gained a reputation for being tech-savvy. We feel the pressure to stay on top of industry news. However, I am fortunate to be a part of a team of over fifty professionals; they are constantly researching, expanding their LinkedIn networks, and sharing their findings with others.

A career in legal tech – where to start?

Try to embed yourself somewhere where it is obvious that you have a vested interest in technology. If you can do any tech module at the university, go for it. Join other sessions at the university as well. Explore the online space: LinkedIn Learning, podcasts (e.g., Tech Talks), blogs (e.g., Artificial Lawyer). Law School 2.0 have a great course that sets out the basics. See our tech blog on Addleshaw Goddard’s website as well for updates on what we are doing.

Do not simply rely on your interest. Read about new technology such as generative AI and explore how LLMs work. Keep up with recent news and developments in the industry. You will be expected to have some baseline knowledge of what legal tech is and how it influences the legal sector. Equally, remember that you do not need to know everything. Being a creative problem-solver and having the right mindset is more important.

What skills do you need to become a successful legal tech practitioner?

The biggest part of a legal tech career is innovation, so creativity is indispensable. You need to demonstrate your ability to think outside the box. Extracurricular activities that highlight your creative streak can be helpful. In my university, we practised programme-based learning. Instead of committing all our time to lectures and seminars, we were placed in student law firms where we applied our knowledge to real-life scenarios.

Time management, teamwork, and strong organisational skills are equally important. Attention to detail is critical. If you decide to pursue a career in legal technology, nine times out of ten, you will be asked to complete an attention-to-detail task. With that being said, my team is vastly different. We have law and non-law graduates, each possessing a unique skill set. Intellectual agility and eagerness to learn are the attributes that we have in common.

Do you need to have strong programming or IT skills?

I had never programmed in my life. I had never done any coding. I can do it at work now, but only because I choose to. It is not a given. I simply decided that I would like to learn more about it to incorporate those skills into building solutions. Nobody expects you to code every night of the week. Our generation and generations around us are already quite tech-savvy. We grew up surrounded by technology. We have the skills. Again, it is all about having the right mindset.

Is there a big clients’ expectation for law firms to be tech-savvy?

Clients are more likely to choose a firm that offers cost-effective and innovative solutions over a firm that does not. The more technology becomes prevalent, the bigger the expectation for law firms to demonstrate how they use technology to deliver the same high-quality results but in a faster, safer, and more economical way.

Compliance is a major issue. Law firms must be extremely careful with how they use technology. We would never train any model using our client data. There are rigorous regulations to adhere to as a law firm. Our IT, procurement, and risk teams support us and provide assessments of tech to make sure it is safe to use. The bar is very high. I am also keeping my eye on upcoming changes in legislation with the Artificial Intelligence (Regulation) Bill currently being discussed in Parliament, specifically whether it will allow companies to train their AI models based on information protected under copyright.

AGPT – what type of work or tasks can it help with?

We are extremely proud of AGPT. We have been constantly improving it since its launch in 2023. It is similar to ChatGPT. Naturally, we would not put clients’ data into ChatGPT, but we can upload documents into AGPT because of the integrated advanced security measures and controls.

One of the latest things we did was implementing a translation feature. Now, we can automatically translate documents into multiple languages. It is incredibly helpful when you are working with international clients. We have also developed an internal prompt library. For example, when a lawyer uploads a service agreement into AGPT, it automatically categorises the document and generates a standardized list of prompts to extract relevant data. It increases our efficiency. AGPT has a chat function, like ChatGPT, which allows users to ask various questions alongside reviewing documents.

What would your response be to an argument that legal technologists contribute to the development of the technology that may potentially replace some legal professionals (e.g., paralegals or legal assistants) in the future?

I do not believe it will. Regardless of the type of work you do using AI, it would be verging on foolish to not personally verify it. The quality of our work and our reputation are at stake. You cannot blame AI for a mistake that it has made when ultimately the work output is your responsibility. There have been a number of examples of legal professionals citing non-existing cases provided by ChatGPT, and this is a prime example of why you should not use technology without checking its output.

We should treat it as an opportunity rather than a hindrance. Tools like AGPT are unlikely to replace humans. They will provide time for more valuable client-based work instead of focusing on repetitive and time-consuming tasks. These tools are intended as an assistant alongside legal professionals, not as a replacement.

What tips would you give to aspiring legal tech practitioners?

Do not focus solely on the law. Addleshaw Goddard, like many firms, is looking for well-rounded candidates. It is essential to draw on experiences that do not simply demonstrate legal skills but also showcase your character and personality. I had worked as a chef before, so in my interview, I talked about attention to detail, time management, teamwork, and working in a high-pressure environment. I could connect the dots between two things that might not seem obvious – working in the kitchen and at a law firm. I also discussed my experience living in Singapore for a year – my ability to quickly adapt to new environments and learn and respect different cultures. I think I would be making a mistake if I pretended to eat, sleep, and breathe corporate law, and if I read fifteen news articles before walking into the assessment centre and focused on them throughout the whole process.

Be a less relaxed version of yourself. Do not be uptight but be mindful of how you present yourself. These apply specifically to assessment centres. People think they merely need to perform well in tasks set for them. You are observed at all points from the moment you walk in.

Otherwise, do your research. Learn more about the firm you are applying to. Consider why this place would be the best for you, your skills, and your aspirations. Be mindful of using ChatGPT. Your application should not look like it was written by a robot. It is a good tool for brainstorming and structuring but not for your final draft. Be commercially aware and stay up to date with current affairs. Look out for upcoming opportunities in the sector or schemes like the Innovation Graduate Scheme at AG; they are an incredible way to get your foot in the door.