From dictaphone tapes to digital transformation – backing ambition in a changing profession
12th March, 2026
When I began my legal career, I shared a computer with my training principal. If I needed to type something urgently, I waited my turn.
On a Friday before going on holiday, I would leave careful rows of dictaphone tapes and paper files on my office floor, each pile topped with a handwritten list of the work to be progressed in my absence. Around us stood banks and banks of filing cabinets, heavy with paper correspondence, pleadings and contracts. The rhythm of the office was tangible: printers humming, phones ringing, colleagues walking briskly between rooms carrying yet more files.
Monday mornings were reserved for a full team diary meeting. We would gather as the large paper diary was opened on the desk. Court appearances, limitation dates and client appointments were read aloud and checked line by line. Nothing moved unless it was written down. Nothing existed unless it was filed.
Networking was equally analogue. Evenings were often spent in The Three Cranes on Bank Street in Sheffield, meeting fellow lawyers, accountants and finance professionals. Relationships were built face-to-face, long before digital profiles and virtual events became the norm. And I can assure those thinking I look well preserved for a Victorian that everything I am describing took place in the 21st Century!
Today I work in a largely paper-light environment. Files are digital, court bundles are electronic, meetings schedule themselves and artificial intelligence can review documents in minutes that once took days. I no longer share a computer, but I collaborate seamlessly with colleagues and clients across offices, regions and countries.
More importantly, our role has evolved.
As a litigator, I was once instructed primarily when problems crystallised. Now, clients increasingly seek strategic advice earlier. They want support navigating regulation, data governance, AI adoption and risk management before issues escalate. They want advisers who understand commercial ambition as well as legal exposure.
That shift reflects the wider economic landscape, particularly across Leeds and West Yorkshire. Leeds has established itself as a leading financial and professional services hub outside London. Across the region, businesses in technology, manufacturing, health and digital sectors are scaling rapidly in a climate shaped by political change, regulatory reform and economic uncertainty.
In that environment, the legal profession must remain agile, informed and collaborative. We must understand not only the law, but the policy direction, regulatory priorities and economic forces influencing our clients’ decisions. Enabling services are no longer peripheral; they are part of the growth infrastructure that underpins regional success.
Technology, especially AI, presents extraordinary opportunity. Used responsibly, it enhances efficiency and sharpens insight. But governance and ethics must evolve alongside innovation. Embracing change is not optional; it is essential.
Looking back at those filing cabinets, it is tempting to feel nostalgic. Yet progress has strengthened us. By working in partnership with our clients, harnessing the political and economic landscape and backing ambition with clarity and confidence, the legal profession can help drive growth and long-term success across Yorkshire.
Emma Digby is Executive Partner of the Leeds office of UK Top 100 law firm Ward Hadaway. On Friday 20 March she will host the annual Ward Hadaway Yorkshire Fastest 50 Awards in partnership with The Yorkshire Post, an event which brings together talent from across the region to recognise and applaud the growth of Yorkshire businesses.
This article was originally published in The Yorkshire Post and can be found here.
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