Legal Cheek Careers sits down with ULaw graduate and teaching assistant Callum Gee to discuss legal tech, careers support and his own journey through law
Callum Gee, graduate teaching assistant at The University of Law (ULaw), is passionate about legal technology and its growing role in the profession. He is involved in designing the legal tech module for the university’s undergraduate programme and plans to pursue a master’s in legal innovation this coming year. Ahead of his panel appearance at Legal Cheek’s upcoming virtual student event, ‘AI and the law — with A&O Shearman, Macfarlanes, Osborne Clarke and ULaw’, I sat down with Gee to talk all things innovation and get his top tips for tech-minded law students.
I began by asking Gee about his legal journey so far. “It’s been a strange one!” he laughs. “I finished my undergraduate studies three years ago, but during that time, I was running my own legal tech company. I then left university and started doing that full-time for about two years on its own”. After running the company for a couple of years, he explains that a former lecturer from ULaw reached out and asked if he would like to join the university as a graduate teaching assistant, an offer he accepted. “So I am now training as an academic and am a designer of the legal tech module for undergraduates — it’s been so rewarding!”.
Curious to know more about Gee’s interest in legal technology, I ask what motivated him to pursue this area. “My core motivation comes from a brilliant Ulaw lecturer, Paddy Grant,” Gee responds. “He inspired me to pursue what I wanted to do, and since then, my interest has blossomed”. He continues:
“In terms of the law, one of the things I have always loved is looking at where we are, what the problems are, discussing solutions, and trying to fix them — that is legal innovation in a nutshell: it is having these conversations and hopefully inspiring bright minds to fix these issues in their careers.”
Having mentioned his hope to inspire bright minds, I am keen to know how law students can learn more about legal technology and any key insights they should be aware of. Gee jokes, “I feel more comfortable talking about this than talking about myself!”.
“From an academic standpoint, you cannot teach emerging technologies,” Gee tells me. This is because of the pace at which these technologies change and develop. “Aside from the ones blowing up – artificial intelligence and document automation, which are a necessity now – you cannot teach specific platforms because, in five years’ time, they will be different in some way or may not even exist,” he says. “You have to take it back”, Gee tells me. “Students must be taught the basics so that whatever technologies arise in the future, they can adapt. You cannot dive in at the deep end.” Gee also stresses that the best thing for future lawyers to do is to not get “overwhelmed by the buzzwords”. The legal tech course at ULaw is “brilliant” for this, he comments.
During our conversation, Gee mentions that there is currently no hub or centre of excellence where lawyers can go to gain a basic understanding of emerging legal technologies. He stresses that, while the ULaw has the benefit of teaching graduates these things, “There is no hub for lawyers out in the world now to gain that knowledge, and they need it, as we all agree this is not going away”. Closing that knowledge gap is something Gee hopes to work on outside of his teaching duties.
Having studied and taught at the university, I move on to ask Gee about the support on offer there, both academically and in terms of careers advice. “They have been brilliant!” he says. “As for academics and career progression, if you’re someone who wants to climb the ladder, ULaw will provide you with every rung on that ladder”. He sees this as one of the most valuable things about the institution. Gee goes on to say that he feels like an “equal” to people who have been there for twenty-five years, despite having only worked there for a year. He was amongst the first six people to be hired on the graduate teaching scheme and tells me, “You can tell they want to make it work”.
Elaborating on his role as a graduate teaching assistant — through which he will also gain a PGCHE teaching qualification — Gee says: “It has been one of the biggest privileges of my life. Last term, I taught nine undergraduate law classes a week and developed strong personal relationships with the students. It was an honour to be in a position to teach them and help nurture such bright minds.”
One particular moment that stays with Gee was after the students’ exam results were released, the average was so high that it filled him with an “immense feeling of pride”. He also shares that the role will place him in a “brilliant position” for a career in academia, particularly as a professor of law and innovation – Gee’s ultimate career goal.
Whilst on the topic of teaching and inspiring students, I am eager to know if he has any tips for those considering a career in legal technology or innovation. His advice is to get stuck in: “If you’re someone who is entrepreneurial or just doesn’t understand why we have to accept things the way they are, if you have that mindset, you should be interested in legal innovation”, he replies. “You have the ability to change the world, as cheesy as it sounds, it’s the truth”.
As we wrap up our conversation, I ask Gee if there is anything he wishes he had known before studying legal technology or the law in general. “Good question!”, he smiles. Gee’s key piece of advice would be for young undergraduate students to stay “open-minded”. Don’t feel pressured to pick the solicitor or barrister side – there are many options, he explains: “If you are not certain what door is for you, hold out, as you will later realise there are more than two doors that exist”. Gee discovered academia later on and describes it as “perfect”.
Callum Gee will be speaking alongside law firm representatives at ‘AI and the law — with A&O Shearman, Macfarlanes, Osborne Clarke and ULaw’, an virtual student event taking place on Tuesday 22 July. Apply now to attend.
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