Harvard Law School is searching for a new CIO. Will a premier law school have an impact on legal technology?
I think not; the academy seems disconnected from the real world in my experience. One of the qualifications listed in the job description: “Very strongly preferred: experience in higher education; knowledge of educational technologies; teaching experience.” If a law school were interested in teaching students about technology of value to practitioners, it would be prudent to include in this list knowledge of or willingness to learn about practice technology. If Harvard Law has any interest in the practical and practice aspects of legal technology, I do not see it reflected in the job description.
Interestingly, however, another qualification is a preference for “superior record of leadership with business partnership orientation.” It will be interesting to see if Harvard partners with businesses on the tech front. How about a partnership with a large law firm to make the education more relevant to the real world?
(At the risk of editorializing – and this is a blog after all…. I attended a “national” law school and am firmly of the belief that law schools can be more practical without impinging on what they view as their core mission. I actually believe law school only needs to be 2 years. If the academy insists on 3, at least let them do something practical.)