Sanjeev Kumar, founder and principle at the Kumar Law Firm, brings his technology and engineering experience along with business knowhow in dealing with customers, suppliers and partners all around the globe. He is bringing his knowledge to the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting and will share how technology can improve one’s practice. You can hear him speak in Dallas this week:
Friday, June 23 at 1:30 p.m. in the Coronado BCD Room— 60 Apps in 60 Minutes: Tips, Tricks, and Technology to Improve Your Practice
You can also meet members of the LexBlog team in the exhibitor hall at booth #28. We are offering complimentary blog reviews and waived initial blog fees during the entire meeting.
How did you first get into the technology side of the law?
I am an engineer by background with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical engineering. I had a 
successful technology career prior to entering law during which I had the good fortune to be part of two market-changing products, the first thin and light notebook and then the digital media revolution created by Apple iPod. When I decided to do something different after the last successful venture, where I led the company from formation to IPO and subsequent sale to another public company as a co-founder of the company, I settled on Law to bring a unique skill set for my clients combining technology, business, and international experience together with the knowledge of law. With the technical background, being involved in the technology side of the law was just a natural fit.
Why are you so passionate about it?
As mentioned above, I have been involved in technology since the time of the first IBM PC’s and have seen the fast pace of technology’s progression. Law is one of those few areas where adoption of technology is still in its infancy. As is very evident, the progress associated with technological innovations has also created substantial risks, such as the cyber security threats and efficiency demands which can be an existential threat to lawyers and law firm if not adequately addressed. I believe I can contribute to bringing the legal services businesses in line with some of the other industry segments that change at a lot faster rate as compared to the legal profession. The belief brings the passion as it is impossible to achieve your goals if one is not passionate about what they are working on.
What’s the greatest challenge in your work today?
There is substantial inertia associated with adoption of technical innovations in legal practice which makes it even harder than the normal issues associated with adopting change. The unique set of requirements and restrictions on the legal profession, be it ethical requirements, privacy and confidentiality concerns, or restrictions on the type of interactions with current and/or future clients makes adoption of changing technical landscape even harder due to the increasing burden, especially for smaller law firms. Achieving the right balance in adopting the necessary systems & processes while at the same time meeting the efficiency requirements of a small law firm is a significant challenge in my role as the managing partner of the firm.
What’s the single message you want to leave with the Texas Bar audience members?
Lawyers have to start adopting the changing landscape of legal professional as a result of technical innovations instead of resisting such change. The new innovations associated with artificial intelligence, big data mining, increased connectivity and throughput, and the wider reach of prospective clients enabled by easy access to the Internet and the data repositories available make the value proposition that lawyers provide different from what it was in years past. The increased risks associated with cyber security threats, hacking, identity theft and disclosure of confidential information is a clear indicator that our profession needs to tackle these issues head on for us to be relevant in the future. On the other hand, lawyers who are able to adopt such change would be well situated to become more efficient and remain as an indispensable resource for their clients because the professional judgment that lawyers provide, and the human touch that is often necessary, cannot be replaced by the use of technology alone.