Law alone Is no longer enough
For a long time, the traditional role of a legal professional was clearly defined: legislation, interpretation and application. But digital transformation is shifting the boundaries of the profession. Technology, processes, data and business models are increasingly interconnected. Law no longer operates in isolation – it exists within a broader system.
We asked three experts for their perspectives – and it quickly became clear that this is not about choosing between law and technology, but about a new understanding of legal work.
For Lina Keßler, Co-Founder of TiLD Consulting and Board Member of the Liquid Legal Institute, there is no contradiction between technological efficiency and legal responsibility – quite the opposite: “Efficiency and responsibility depend on each other.” Legal professionals have the responsibility to standardise, automate and design legal processes in ways that are both efficient and effective, ensuring that law can continue to have a meaningful impact on society. In the context of AI in the legal market, this means technology should not merely accelerate processes but structurally improve them.
Markus Englmeier, Executive Director of the Liquid Legal Institute, likewise emphasises that technology only creates value when it is not an end in itself but improves accessibility, clarity and fairness. “Progress should be measured by whether more people can understand and make use of the law.” When routine processes are intelligently automated, it creates space for what lies at the heart of legal work: strategic thinking, contextual judgement and human communication.
Maraja Fistanić, Chair of the Legal Tech Association Germany, adds a cultural dimension to the discussion. Politics can set the framework and technology can scale solutions – “but without people who connect the two in a meaningful way, nothing happens.” The key lever, she argues, is cultural change. Intellectual agility, critical thinking, curiosity and the courage to embrace change are essential skills for keeping pace with technological developments. This applies equally to established law firms and to start-ups operating at the intersection of law and innovation.
Taken together, these perspectives paint a clear picture:
The future of the legal market will not emerge from new tools alone, but from new ways of thinking.
Interdisciplinarity is no longer an optional addition – it is becoming a prerequisite.
These different perspectives on collaboration, culture and transformation will also be at the centre of legalXchange 2026, when stakeholders from business, the judiciary, academia and the Legal Tech
