The legal world is always on. At Lawyerlinq, we know this better than anyone. But what does that mean in practice for the lawyers of the future? We sat down for a conversation with Helen Hulsker, lecturer and lead architect of the brand-new Legal Tech Master's program at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS). It turned out to be an honest, practical, and inspiring dialogue about what is truly changing within the legal landscape.
From corporate counsel to educational pioneer
Helen accumulated over twenty years of experience as an in-house corporate lawyer, specializing in IT and tech. Looking for a new challenge, she reached out to the AUAS on LinkedIn. The rest is history. After just one guest lecture, she knew: this is it. She made the transition to education and is now helping to build something that the market genuinely needs.
Why a Legal Tech Master’s?
The reason is simple: the market demands it. Legal knowledge alone is no longer enough. Organizations are looking for professionals who speak two languages: legal and tech. Not as developers, but as the central connection point that understands how technology can improve, simplify, and accelerate legal processes.
The Master’s program spans two years, full-time, and is structured around three key themes:
Rule-based systems
Data and data management
Data-driven systems
Students build their own decision-making systems, learn to navigate the ethical and legal frameworks surrounding AI, and develop management, design, and communication skills. Because a legal tech specialist also needs to be able to converse at the C-level.
From T-shaped to π-shaped
Helen introduced a compelling concept: the π-shaped lawyer. While the traditional lawyer relied purely on legal knowledge, and the T-shaped lawyer added one extra skill to that foundation, the legal tech professional of the future has a broad overarching skill set: law, tech, and the organizational and communication skills to bring it all together.
Not everyone will become a legal tech specialist. And they don't have to.
An honest take: Helen does not expect every lawyer to become a legal tech expert. There will always be lawyers who simply want to dive deep into their specific legal field. However, every student at the AUAS receives a foundational toolkit. They all build a decision system at least once. Basic digital proficiency is now a standard part of their training.
The big question: what is AI doing to the profession?
AI is taking over tasks. That is a fact. But at the same time, new roles are emerging: legal ops manager, legal tech specialist, legal prompt engineer. The key lies in curiosity and courage. Lawyers who dare to experiment are building a competitive edge. Lawyers who wait until every risk is completely eliminated... might be waiting too long.
Helen puts it beautifully: "Stop doing all the tedious tasks. If you find a task tedious, you should automate it."
And we completely agree with that.
What does this mean for the market?
The students currently enrolled in this Master’s program will soon enter the organizations we work with daily: law firms, municipalities, and large corporates. They represent the new generation, and demand is so high that everyone wants to recruit them even before they graduate.
At Lawyerlinq, we are seeing this shift reflected in the requests from our clients. The demand for lawyers who understand tech is growing rapidly. Building a pool of the right talent, ready to action, is exactly what we do for our customers.
Always on. Especially as the profession evolves.
Listen to the podcast here.