French legaltech does not escape the glass ceiling theory. This is the observation of Anaïs Person, PhD student, who created the Women In Legaltech collective and is writing a study on the place of women in this sector.
We went to meet her to learn more about the inclusive collective created in May 2020, which aims to highlight women in the Legaltech eco-system.
Portrait of Anaïs Person
Anaïs' background is extremely rich. With a degree in Intellectual Property and Digital Business Law, she is specialized in personal data protection, compliance and ethics of AI and innovation projects.
She is also co-author of three books, including one called "Legaltech, digitalisation et collectivités territoriales" (Éditions Territoriales, 2020).
Anaïs is also Secretary General of the Privacy Tech association, which created with AFNOR a label that highlights software solutions that respect privacy. She created Women In Legaltech one year ago.
What exactly is Women in Legaltech?
It is an initiative created in May 2020 that aims to reduce inequalities in the fields of Law and Legaltech, but also in all other fields thanks to Legaltech tools.
What was the trigger for the creation of Women in Legaltech?
Last year, I participated in a full stack web development bootcamp. In the cohort, there were 26 girls, four of whom specialized in law! I told myself that we had to do something to promote these profiles. Then, in the course of my career, I realized a little more that the legaltech field does not escape inequalities.
In parallel, I discovered the #JamaisSansElles charter, a movement in favor of gender diversity composed of a hundred entrepreneurs from the digital, media, education and political sectors. The principle is the following: if women are not invited to the debates and public events to which the male members of the movement are invited, they refuse to participate. I found the initiative powerful and impactful, and it inspired me to create Women In Legaltech.
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How has Women in Legaltech been received?
We had a great reception, which is very encouraging. It was a nice surprise! The movement is inclusive, and men have joined, which I find both interesting and very positive. Over the past year, I think we have succeeded in creating a space of trust, conducive to sharing experiences.
Soon after the launch, I was contacted by the Village de la Justice who suggested that I organize a webinar to highlight women in legaltech. I was able to bring in members of the collective.
There are many women working in legaltech! I hope that the collective will help them to find their place in the sector.
"We had a great reception, which was very encouraging. It was a nice surprise!"
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How can we make sure that women occupy a more important place in French legaltech?
This means giving them more visibility and creating a space of trust. In particular, we organize workshops dedicated to feedback/mentoring, and well-being workshops to discuss issues related to professional life.
On the other hand, I am currently working on a study on the place of women in legaltech. The objective is to know who are these women who evolve in the world of law and tech and what positions they hold.
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