AI Responsibly with ndMAX
In 2010, the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) launched the Distinguished Peer Awards program to honor the achievements of those who leverage the strategic advantages of technology in the legal profession. Within the ILTA member community, the awards recognize outstanding achievements in organizational and individual excellence, as well as leadership and professionalism. Business partners are recognized for superior achievements in innovation, subject-matter expertise, and influence on the legal tech space.
Earlier this week, ILTA served up the 12th edition of its Distinguished Peer Awards. During the 2.5-hour virtual ceremony, four NetDocuments team members were honored, by far the most of any ILTA member or business partner. Most notable was company Chief Technology Officer and co-founder Alvin Tedjamulia receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, the following team members were named Young Professionals to Watch:
Those who mostly know Alvin by his corporate bio or LinkedIn profile should know that his CV doesn’t scratch the surface of what this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner has accomplished and shared through his four-plus decades of innovating and shaping legal technology.
In the earlier years, Alvin received the Outstanding Young Scientist award from the United Nations and was co-founder of SoftSolutions, the original legal document management system, which was then acquired by WordPerfect and Novell. He later founded the Open Document Management Alliance, a comprehensive standard for interoperability among electronic document management systems to move away from proprietary standards. Alvin was also the original chief designer for Comprehensive Law Office (CLO), an accounting and time and billing system for law firms, now part of Aderant. All of this occurred well before he doubled down — thankfully — on his all-consuming passion: NetDocuments.
In the late ‘90s, before the terms “cloud” and “software-as-a-service” were coined, risk takers and innovators like Alvin knew they wanted to provide legal professionals access to documents “through the browser” and in the “net,” increasing the pace and easing the burden of legal work. Out of this vision, Alvin and Ken and Lee Duncan founded NetDocuments. The rest, as we say, is history.
Anyone who knows Alvin recognizes him as the humblest man and leader, an unassuming gentleman, and a true thought leader. Maybe most important, a man many are proud to know and call a friend. Congratulations Alvin on this well-deserved award — a testament to the impact you’ve had and continue to have on the legal community.
As ILTA CEO Joy Heath Rush mentioned at the outset of the award celebration: “Young professionals, you are the future of legal technology and of ILTA!” These are individuals who inspire others, have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments, and consistently push the envelope to elevate themselves and their peers. NetDocuments’ three Young Professionals to Watch honorees definitely fit the mold.
We asked each of them to share one of their award-winning application answers.
Describe recent projects or initiatives in which you demonstrated exceptional professionalism, acting as a role model for others, and exceeding expectations of your position.
When I joined NetDocuments two years ago, I took on the challenge of learning what makes the legal technology industry tick. I have since then established healthy relationships with our partner ecosystem to achieve mutual growth while educating the market, and I have identified and executed creative ways to engage with the community, including:
How have you used your knowledge, skills, and attributes to contribute to the legal technology industry?
Most recently, my work with the Microsoft Power Automate platform has seen ripple effects in the legal technology industry. I began to develop solutions in Power Automate based on what I knew the industry wanted. As a Solutions Expert, I have the privilege of working closely with many legal professionals to understand what customers need for success. Because NetDocuments is a mature, robust platform, I was able to take what I learned from customers and create a variety of practical solutions to help drive their success utilizing Power Automate, including:
How your knowledge, skills, and attributes contributed to the legal technology industry?
As a young professional woman in legal tech, I feel called to empower the next generation to envision themselves in this industry without limiting the possibilities. That is why I am a mentor to women and young professionals in STEM through SheTech as well as the NetDocuments Scholarship mentor program.
I am a member of The Women Tech Council and was able to work with and encourage girls to think big through the SheTech program. Our focus is on technology, although the way I show up as a mentor — with candor, confidence in them, and a respect for who they are — is how I believe you can give others permission to pursue their best and help shape the future for good.
The NetDocuments Scholarship mentor program was another opportunity to teach and prepare three young professionals for their futures. I designed and led sessions where we highlighted different topics to develop their professional acumen. Through these meetups, I felt honored to share my experiences and learn from them through thoughtful discussion.
Our award-winning team is a testament to the NetDocuments core value that we win together as we continue to focus on ways in which we can add value to customers, partners, and the entire legal community. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners!
