The legal operations space is one of the most unique and exciting you'll find in the entire legal profession. It's an interesting mix in that it's crucial, with legal departments continuously acting more like a business, but also nascent with many departments just beginning to ramp up an operations function. That means, for those looking at switching careers and finding jobs in the space, now may be the time to strike.

Richard Robinson. Courtesy photo.

As part of the run-up to Legalweek 2020, Legaltech News is chatting with a number of speakers from this year's sessions to know. Today's Q&A is with Richard Robinson, director of legal operations and litigation Support at Toyota. His Legaltech session "Career Up! LegalOps for eDiscovery Professionals & Tech Wonky Attorneys" will take place on Wednesday, February 5, at 11 a.m.

The questions and responses below have been edited for clarity.

Legaltech News: What do you think legal tech looks like in 10 years? What will be the biggest opportunities and challenges?

Richard Robinson: I believe that in ten years, legal technology will have continued to progress in many areas, including automation, artificial intelligence, data compression and data delivery, making the legal professional of the next decade more mobile and agile than ever. The challenge, clearly, will be to keep up with the advances, but for those who do, the opportunities will be boundless.

What is the biggest misconception you think still persists about legal technology?

The biggest persistent misconception is that technology is designed to replace jobs. Legal technology is designed to enhance the practice of law, enabling the tech-savvy practitioner to manage bigger tasks with more data in less time and at a lower cost.

For somebody looking at legal ops as a career path, what's one thing they might not expect when applying, but absolutely should know?

A lot of legal ops roles are being created in a vacuum. Just because a job description may have some "requirements" that are not necessarily on your resume, don't rule them out. Many times, the right applicant will help define the role.

Do you prefer applicants with a JD? MBA? Tech certifications? Or is it a matter of skills over schooling?

I absolutely look for skills over schooling. The best candidates for e-discovery and legal ops roles have a strong understanding of law, technology and business. Where that knowledge is derived from is less important than the quality of the knowledge and the demonstrated ability to use all three.

What are some of the skills you've seen in legal ops professionals that lend to a higher probability of success?

There are three pillars of legal operations: people, process and technology. The most successful professionals in the space are those with a passion for solving problems, an ability to grasp new and ever-changing technology and, perhaps most importantly, an ability to communicate those things with non-technical professionals in a way they can understand.

What do you hope attendees take away from your Legalweek session?

My session is about expanding your horizons and being ready for what happens next in your career. If I were to hope for one thing for attendees of my session to take away, it would be that their eyes are opened to the career building opportunities that already exist around them or just outside their existing sphere of influence.