We Are Docue: Ashleigh Evans, Legal Counsel, UK

Today we’re introducing you to Ashleigh Evans, Legal Counsel in the UK. Ashleigh joined Docue almost one year ago—and in that time, Ashleigh's helped to create and maintain our suite of 100+ legal templates, crafted engaging content for our Legal Hub and teamed up with Heather Stark, Senior Legal Counsel in the UK, for our podcast, Docue Digest.

Ready to meet Ashleigh? Let’s start.

Hi Ashleigh, thanks for taking the time to chat! Tell us a little bit about yourself

Ashleigh: Of course! I live in Brighton and qualified as a solicitor with a regional firm here on the south coast. I completed my Law degree at the University of Southampton and my LPC and MSc in Business, Law & Management at the University of Law, Guildford. Since qualifying, I’ve immersed myself in all things tech! I worked in various commercial and tech law-based roles, specialising in servicing Microsoft Partners before joining Docue in October 2022. I quickly realised that being a part of the legal tech revolution is where I wanted to be!

Could you tell us about your role at Docue?

Ashleigh: Certainly! At Docue, my role is very varied in comparison to my previous experience in private practice, and it’s aligned with my passion for legal tech and my background in commercial law. As a Legal Counsel, I wear several hats. With the rest of the legal team, I’m responsible for creating and optimising our legal templates, coding them into our platform, contributing content to our Legal Hub and podcast, Docue Digest, supporting the business internally and most importantly, making legal solutions more accessible to businesses.

How do you see your role contributing to Docue’s mission?

Ashleigh: For far too long, the world of legal documents has been a maze of jargon and complexity, deliberately designed to put off those without a legal background. But at Docue, our mission is to democratise the law and to revolutionise how SMEs access and use legal content. This mission really resonates with me on a personal level, as my goal each day is to ensure that every Docue user can effortlessly navigate our legal document templates, regardless of their legal expertise.

What does your day-to-day typically look like?

Ashleigh: My role extends beyond traditional legal work which I really love. A typical day at Docue for me is a blend of contract drafting, coding, content creation, and cross-team collaboration.

My day usually starts with reviewing or drafting contracts, occasionally addressing legal enquiries from our users who have questions about particular templates and their functionality. Then, I dive into coding the templates into the system and testing legal tech features, ensuring that our platform stays user-friendly and efficient. Throughout the day, you may also find me recording podcast episodes or writing content to help our users navigate templates and legal topics with ease!

As our team is fully remote in the UK, collaboration and brainstorming sessions with my colleagues via Slack and Google Meet are also integral to my daily routine. We have a great team and it’s good to touch base throughout the day, even if it is just to have a natter!

What is the best part of your job at Docue?

Ashleigh: The best part of my job at Docue is the sense of innovation and the opportunity to make a tangible impact on how businesses approach legal processes. I find it incredibly rewarding to develop tools that simplify legal tasks for our users. I also enjoy keeping on top of new legal developments and ensuring that our platform aligns with regulatory requirements in England and Wales. Balancing these challenges with the excitement of being a part of the legal tech revolution is what makes my role at Docue fulfilling.

What is the biggest challenge you face in your role?

Ashleigh: It’s definitely the moments when I get stuck on a tricky piece of code while working on coding the legal templates into the platform! Coding wasn’t a part of my legal background before this role (and usually isn't for most lawyers), but I've thoroughly enjoyed learning this new skill and leveraging my legal knowledge to enhance the user experience of Docue. When I encounter challenges, I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have a team of exceptional colleagues who are always ready to offer support and guidance. The synergy and collaboration between our legal, tech, marketing and sales teams at Docue are unlike anything I’ve ever experienced! Everyone at Docue is super friendly too, which always helps!

What is your favourite quote and how do you apply it to your everyday life?

Ashleigh: Satya Nadella, Microsoft's CEO, once said “When I think about my career, my successes are built on learning from failures.”

This quote really resonates with me, especially in my role. As a junior lawyer, it’s natural to worry about making mistakes or getting things wrong, but you learn so much from those mistakes.

This quote also applies to coding. There are moments when you find yourself stuck on a piece of code, experimenting through trial and error for hours. However, once you crack the code, that prior failure becomes a path to success the next time you encounter a similar challenge.

When you aren’t working, what can we find you doing?

Ashleigh: When I'm not working, you'll most likely find me cooking up a plant-based storm in my kitchen, taking my dog, Roo, for walks along Brighton seafront, or occasionally running a half marathon for a good cause!

Tune in to Docue Digest: Legal Insights for Entrepreneurs

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