LegalTechTalk Uncovered 2025 - Aline Von Duering - E18

0:00Aline Von Duering:Welcome to the Legally Speaking Podcast Legal Tech Talk Uncovered Mini Series 2025 sponsored by Clio. We're back with our red mic for a behind the scenes series all about legal innovation at Europe's largest legal tech event. So we're granted access to meet some of the greatest speakers, sponsors, brands in the whole legal tech world. We've got 300 speakers with over 70 sessions with over 4 ,000 attendees from all across the globe hitting us here over the next two days at Legal Tech Talk live in London. From AI to access to justice to smart compliance, you name it, we're covering it all. This isn't just another conversation or another conference.

0:41Aline Von Duering:It's a blueprint for community and transformation. So buckle up. We're speaking with some incredible people about policy change, change makers, legal innovation and so much more over and out. Welcome to the Legally Speaking podcast recording live here at Legal Tech Talk in London. Could you please introduce yourself, name, title and organisation? Hi Robert, thank you so much. My name is Aline Bonduri. I am an off-council at Bonar Lawson in Dubai. And at the same time, I am the president of the skill board for AIDA, the largest young lawyers network, global young lawyers network. And we were just talking off air about the amazing work that you're doing with that.

1:24Aline Von Duering:Hence, we wanted the conversation today. But I guess in one sentence, what's the problem you're trying to solve within the world of legal? The problem I'm trying to solve with the skill board is the mental health situation, which we know is being talked about a lot. We know the legal industry is one of the worst when it comes to mental health, if I may say so. Yep, I would agree. And the problem that we're trying to solve is how do we get from knowing what is wrong and what's not working to how do we get into action? How can we actually change the culture and the way things are done? Because I think there is a lot of awareness by now, but we're still struggling to make that change.

2:12So we're trying to empower young lawyers to be that change.

2:16Aline Von Duering:And we love that. And we're all about empowering and inspiring. Our tagline is inspiring legal minds, transforming legal futures. And that's absolutely what you're working hard to do. We're obviously the largest legal tech conference in Europe. What's one assumption you think people have about legal tech that's just wrong? I don't know if it's really an assumption. I feel like there's just a lot of overwhelm. Yeah. And a lot of, in terms of what is out there, what is available and where do you start? Yeah. And then the lack of knowledge and understanding technology. Yeah. Right. When it's sometimes, and I can speak for myself, right?

2:53Sometimes I feel like I don't even know how to properly work on a Word document or Excel. I mean, I can do subtractions and summarize stuff, but, and then that's it. Yeah. I think in the legal industry, we're just so behind when it comes to tech. The gap is so big. I feel that that's one of the biggest issues that I see.

3:21Aline Von Duering:I agree. I think there is, and look at a conference like today. It's amazing, but it potentially could get overwhelmed. I think it's important to have mentors, good people around you, be part of communities and have conversations and be open to learning, do all that good stuff. Are there any sessions you're excited about over the coming days? Are you speaking yourself or part of any sessions? No, just listening in. There is many, many, I guess because of what I'm into, there's a lot of mental health sessions because that's part of the reason why I'm here. I think legal tech can be a huge amplifier or improve the situation that we're in.

3:59So that is something. And then generally looking at the industry, the sessions on looking at the industry and where exactly is that going? Because I feel there's a lot of curiosity, but also insecurity in what exactly is going to happen. I don't think we have all the answers yet, but it's certainly great to have all the industry leaders coming together and talking about that and picking their brains and listening in.

4:24Aline Von Duering:Yeah, absolutely. And this year, there's six themes that kind of cuts across law, technology, revolution, evolution, access to justice, purpose-driven law, collaboration, and smart compliance. Which one of those speaks loudest to you? And if so, why? I think the collaboration aspect. I feel, again, as an industry, we have a tendency of not being very collaborative. And I don't want to step on anyone's toes. I think maybe sometimes it's also almost de formation professionelle, as we say. We're taught not to collaborate too much because we want to really be on the safe side and that. So I'm really excited about how the collaborative aspect can be improved and amplified.

5:08Aline Von Duering:Yeah, and we're here for that. And we always say collaboration is domination, meet as many people, connect and grow together, all very important stuff. What's been your biggest surprise of Legal Tech Talk 2025? Might be a moment. The biggest, I find it very welcoming. I find people are, you know, compared to maybe other legal events, it seems a very collaborative space, very welcoming. People are happy to see you, happy to talk. I love, there's so much learning and education going on, which I think is great. I'm here for that as well. Okay, let's fast forward five years. Let's say it's 2030. What will clients expect from legal services that they don't get today?

5:48Maybe transparency. transparency okay i think is one of big big things and i do hope uh you know that legal tech is really going to help with that i think for clients that is a big thing be it cost wise be it process wise be it um yeah communication and then that's what i see will be and yeah from a client perspective i think that that's one of the main clear transparent and with that

6:14Aline Von Duering:you build trust don't you and then you you build your referrals and you keep all of that you know relationship capital that's so so important okay what's been your biggest aha moment at 2025 legal tech talk biggest aha moment i would say how many legal tech firms there are emerging yeah which i think is fantastic because obviously the broader base and the more there is the better the top will be and the more we as lawyers can profit from that than organizations and and it's great the enthusiasm yeah energy here isn't it's great exactly and also to see i think going back to maybe but one of the concerns is security data security always yeah and i feel like this part has been improving a lot over the last uh months yeah years uh two years and and i think that that It wasn't a harm for me to see, you know, that space was really improving within the legal tech field.

7:19Aline Von Duering:And I think, you know, competition is good in a way. It helps innovate and improve. And, you know, like you say, there's lots of people here, lots of vendors here, lots of opportunities here. But with that, it brings out the best of what ultimately people are going to get access to in terms of technology for good. We always like to talk about tech for good on the show. OK, before we let you go, where can people find out more about you, the organisations that you're running? Tell our listeners and feel free to shout out any websites or any social media handles. Where can people find out more? Well, I'm not very loud on LinkedIn yet.

7:47I'm trying to be. Exactly. Trying to get more comfortable with that. So you can certainly find me on LinkedIn at our law firm website, Bonnard Lawson. And then certainly for Aija, it's aija.org. A-I-J-A dot O-R-G. And you will find about the Agents of Change program for the mental health in the legal industry there as well as on LinkedIn with the hashtag agents of change and Aija. There we go.

8:17Aline Von Duering:Well, it just leaves me to say thank you so much for joining me here live on the Legally Speaking podcast at Legal Tech Talk, wishing you lots of continued success with the great initiatives you're running. But from now, from all of us, over and out. Thank you for listening to this week's episode. If you like the content here, why not check out our world leading content and collaboration hub, the Legally Speaking Club over on Discord. Go to our website, www.legallyspeakingpodcast.com for the link to join our community there. Over and out.