The complete article will be published on the blog of K. Todd Wallace at
http://ktoddwallaceblog.blogspot.com/
Technology is advancing, and the legal profession must keep up with
these technological and societal changes. Many of us still remember when they
first saw a personal computer, when cell phones became widely available, and
when cell phones turned into smart phones that have become indispensable for many.
Incorporating technology into a law practice can make the practice more
efficient and increase client satisfaction. In fact, technology may enable the
practitioner to exceed client expectations. Here are a few, simple-to-implement options.
Research
Efficiency
The internet has placed all of society’s
information at one’s fingertips, and again the legal profession is not exempt.
The speed of research has dramatically increased. An attorney can analyze a
legal matter much more quickly without even leaving the desk. However, that is
what clients expect nowadays - instant results.
There are a few tools that can make your job
easier. For example, many cases and articles are available for free on Google
Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/)
or on Findlaw (www.Findlaw.com).
Most courts post their forms and cases on the Web, reducing search time to minutes
and saving you a walk to the courthouse.
Coming back to smart phones, many attorneys today
use them even for legal work. A 2016 survey conducted by the American Bar
Association found that 88 percent of respondents used smart phones for
law-related work. A fifth of them were using research apps, and those numbers
have undoubtedly surged since.
e-Subscriptions
To make your
law practice more efficient, subscribing to multiple industry-related blogs and
news outlets may deliver relevant information right to your email inbox. In
turn, you may be able to tailor valuable information to specific clients and
send them a proactive communication.
The Cloud/On-Line Repositories
There are many
ways to incorporate a secure document repository in your practice. Online
document management providers offer some limited client document sharing and
also offer full-scale extranets as an add-on.
There are many
options and price points for achieving the logical benefit of client document
repositories.
Web-based software enables a firm’s documents to be
securely stored in “the cloud” and provide accessibility from nearly any
location. The safety of such storage systems has increased greatly, and allows
you to have remote access while on the road or working from home.
For example,
you can set up a system whereby the lawyer uploads the documents he/she wants
to share with the client and the client accesses them via a secure log-in.
The benefit to
the client includes having all the documents for a matter in a single
repository, accessible at his convenience, with the lawyer taking
responsibility for document management. One can update or replace the documents
as needed, thus eliminating concerns over versions. Popular examples include www.litigationservices.com and www.alphareporting.com
To be continued.
The complete article will be published on the blog of K. Todd Wallace at
http://ktoddwallaceblog.blogspot.com/
*NOTE: The inclusion of a technology or app in this article does not
mean an endorsement or approval. The listed technologies are just for
illustrative purposes. None of these particular technologies are endorsed or
recommended by this author.
About Kenneth Todd Wallace
Kenneth Todd Wallace is
an attorney and founding partner of the law firm Wallace Meyaski LLC. He has
nearly 20 years of experience in the legal and business professions with
established excellence in trial advocacy, negotiation, strategic and initiative
planning, employment law compliance, government relations, mergers and
acquisitions, and team building.
References
Facebook page of Kenneth Todd Wallace, Attorney
at Law:
Attorney Profile:
*** K. Todd Wallace is an attorney at Wallace Meyaski in New Orleans. He has nearly 20 years of experience in the legal and business professions with established excellence in trial advocacy, negotiation, strategic and initiative planning, government relations, mergers and acquisitions, and team building. See http://www.walmey.com/our-attorneys/k-todd-wallace/
