A global career in legal technology: From tourism dreams to an unexpected path
By Olivia Amber
If you had told my teenage self that I would one day build a career in the legal industry, I wouldn’t have believed you. I left school with one clear goal: to travel the world. I studied tourism with the hope it would lead to a career that took me a great distance away from New Zealand. I could never have guessed that law and legal technology were part of the plan.
And yet, in 2017, I accepted a role as an office assistant in a law firm. What I initially saw as a temporary position quickly turned into something more. I progressed through administration, became a legal secretary, completed my Diploma in Legal Executive Studies, and moved into legal executive, legal accounting and practice management posts. Somewhere along that journey, I discovered a genuine passion for the legal industry – particularly how law firms operate, how systems support people, and how the right processes can reduce stress and improve outcomes.
For a long time, I believed my future would remain within law firms. That changed when I was introduced to legal technology.
Entering legal tech
Joining LEAP New Zealand as an implementation consultant marked a turning point in my career. It allowed me to combine my legal background with problem-solving, systems thinking and client support. Instead of working within a single business, I was now helping many by guiding law firms to better understand their workflows, adopt new technology, and use software in a way that genuinely supported their people and financial processes.
In 2024, I moved from LEAP to Jayva, as implementation consultant, following a shared decision that reflected the strong relationship between the two organisations. With LEAP as the software provider and Jayva delivering implementation and ongoing support, the move left like a natural continuation rather than a change. What I didn’t anticipate was how global the role would become or how closely it would align with the travel aspirations I had carried with me since my teenage years.
Olivia in Poland
A career that crossed continents
My journey with Jayva became global almost immediately with my regional role evolving into a truly international one. Using my European citizenship, I relocated to Dublin, where I worked primarily with Irish law firms while also supporting practices across England, Wales and the United States – the areas in which Jayva was expanding and needing more boots on the ground.
Over the next 18 months, I worked between Ireland and New Zealand while living across the United Kingdom and Europe, alongside periods of travel in the United States. As already explained, I supported whichever region required assistance the most. Each jurisdiction brought distinct legal frameworks, compliance requirements, billing structures and operational expectations, all of which required a tailored and considered approach.
One of the deeply meaningful highlights was the time I spent in Poland. Given my family’s Polish heritage, the Poland experience carried personal significance far beyond my professional itinerary.
The lessons gained from working globally
Living and working overseas taught me resilience in ways I couldn’t have learned otherwise. Navigating unfamiliar systems, from housing to banking to healthcare, this required independence, adaptability and steady problem-solving, particularly during periods when I was unwell and far from familiar support networks.
Throughout this time, Jayva was a consistent source of support, enabling me to work flexibly across countries and overcome logistical challenges with confidence. That stability allowed me to succeed both personally and professionally.
Working in non-English-speaking environments upon occasion further strengthened my communication skills and versatility, qualities that now shape how I approach my client training, implementation and ongoing technical support activity.
How global experience has reshaped me as a consultant
I have since relocated to New Zealand with a broader professional perspective. While returning to a legal environment I’m accustomed to has been grounding, my global adventure continues to shape how I approach legal technology consulting and training.
Working across multiple jurisdictions and practice areas, with law firms of all shapes and sizes, has reinforced that effective implementations must account for differing legal systems, compliance requirements and structures. Learning directly from practices has strengthened my ability to anticipate downstream impacts on reporting and workflows, and to deliver bespoke, future-focused solutions.
This experience has also deepened my empathy for clients undergoing change, equipping me with the skills to support law firms not just technically, but with clarity, confidence and understanding.
Olivia in Ireland
Looking ahead
While New Zealand is home, my desire to keep exploring hasn’t faded. There are still regions I hope to spend more time in, and I’m grateful that my career in legal technology continues to offer opportunities for growth, learning and global connection.
Final reflections
Looking back, this journey was never just about travel. It was about growth: both personal and professional. My experience with Jayva has shown me that worldwide exposure enhances not only technical capability, but perspective, resilience and compassion.
I set out wanting to see the world. I just never expected that a career in legal technology with Jayva firmly by my side would be the path that made it possible.
Olivia in America
