I joined ThoughtRiver as an intern in June 2017 after completing my GDL at BPP University. My role has certainly evolved a lot since that day and most recently I have taken on a position as a Legal Engineer. I was attracted to ThoughtRiver by its innovative use of software and the opportunity to use and improve my technical skills in an exciting environment, typical of a start-up.
My role as a Legal Engineer requires me to combine my technical skills with the legal knowledge and experience I have acquired to date across three European countries. My legal knowledge, combined with my basic Python coding skills enables me and the team to solve many complex legal issues, using technology in a flexible and effective way.
One of my key tasks at ThoughtRiver is to support the legal team with the visualisation of training data by undertaking sanity and data quality checks. I act as a liaison between the development and legal teams by helping each group understand the challenges the other faces and come up with a solution that works for everyone. When we are approached by a new client, I am first in line to provide technical support to the legal team, outlining any issues from a legal perspective to the development team. This collaborative style of working is very important here at ThoughtRiver!
Roles such as mine will become more and more prevalent in the future, as companies continue to see the value in automating processes and in artificial intelligence as a whole. Business Intelligence and Data Analysis are highly underestimated within the legal sector and an increased use of data visualisation tools would certainly help to better shape this business sector in a highly competitive market.
Having technical skills is not just a matter of solving complex issues, but it is also about acquiring the mindset that a problem can be faced and solved in many different ways. It gives you the opportunity to look at the reality using various scenarios and evaluate all possible outcomes. With the internet, integrated systems and open sources being available to anyone, we are only limited by our own attitude to learn. In an ever changing society, continual learning is becoming more important than ever, and those companies willing to invest in the right resource to make this happen, will be the ones who outshine the rest.
I am excited about my future at ThoughtRiver and ready to face all challenges with an open mind and a hunger to learn!
Emanuela Denaro - connect with me on LinkedIn.