Using marshmallows and spaghetti as building blocks may not seem state-of-the-art, but the intention was to encourage sixth-formers taking part in a legal tech initiative to think creatively.
It was one of several challenges organised by law firms and legal IT designers as part of the diversity and excellence in legal technology and security (Deltas) initiative, which was launched to promote careers in technology, coding and cybersecurity. It tested the water this summer with five students spending time at four law firms — Winckworth Sherwood, Bird & Bird, MW Solicitors and DAC Beachcroft — and two IT suppliers: iManage and LexisNexis.
Thereza Snyman, an “ambassador” for Deltas, says that the programme promotes social mobility for boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 18 who may not have access to work experience. “With the dearth of women in technology roles, it is incredibly important to encourage young girls into Stem,” says Christel Aguila, the head of Winckworth’s IT department. “The girls who came to us experienced first-hand the diversity of thought in the creative, chaotic but very focused atmosphere of our IT team’s open-plan office, which, hopefully, changed their perspective of legal tech being ‘geeks’ in a room full of servers and cables.”