The Tech Savvy Lawyer – Web Technologies And Legal Firms

The Legal Industry & Information Technology

Like all other industries, the legal industry is not insulated from the tremendous changes in information technology over the past decade, and the challenges and opportunities it presents. If anything, the changes have more bearing on law firms & departments because information management is at the core of what they do – consulting with clients, colleagues or experts; increasing compliance & regulation demands, wading through a constantly expanding sea of legislation and case law; managing outsourcing partners; keeping abreast with latest developments; or managing a mountain of matter files.

Recent Trends

Perhaps the most significant change in the legal services industry the decline of “relationship lawyering”.

Recent times have seen increased competition, & changes in underlying market structure. There has been a continuing trend of decline of “relationship lawyering”. Traditionally strong relationships between law firms and corporates are eroding, with more companies opting for in-house legal departments, or “shopping around” for the best deal. Another significant trend is the increasing convergence of legal markets, where competition is as likely to come from a firm in another state or overseas as from a local firm. These & other developments are exerting greater pressures on legal firms to be more efficient, an it is imperative that attorneys spend their time analyzing information, rather than organizing or managing it.

Drivers of Technology Adoption by Legal Firms

Possibilities of Technology – The primary driver of greater use of information technology by legal firms is developments in technology itself. New technologies & greater bandwidths allow great possibilities in the arenas of information management, productivity and remote collaboration. Information can be moved over the internet with greater security. And unlike yesteryear, law firms can access these technologies without hefty costs and the need to set up specialized IT departments.

In 2004, Forrester Research Inc estimated that some 39,000 legal jobs will have moved offshore by the end of 2008.

Outsourcing/Offhsoring – Legal firms are now increasingly open to legal process outsourcing of tasks they traditionally held close – research, transcription, coding and even legal research and the drafting of legal documents. It is commonplace to see a NY based law firm, subletting research work to a team of professional lawyers & paralegals in Bangalore, India. This enables firms to majorly cut down costs & concentrate on core legal functions. But it also necessitates a greater need to communicate, collaborate & monitor the functioning of outsourcing vendors hundreds or thousands of miles away. Security is also an issue, since performance of the services often requires access to regulated consumer data or other sensitive data.

In 2004, almost 60% of lawyers worked at multi-office firms and over 10% of lawyers work at firms with ten or more offices.

Geographic Diversification – As mentioned before, there is a distinct movement towards multiple office firms, with offices spread both nationally and globally. US based companies are now serving many foreign clients, or serving foreign interests of domestic clients. There was a significant presence of international clients in even the smallest law firms of 1 to 20 lawyers. There has also been a spate of global mergers and acquisitions of law firms in the new millennia. All this necessitates a greater need for communication, collaboration and information exchange between branches.

Regulatory Compliance – Since the Sarbanes Oxley Act came into effect, records management has become an essential requirement. Organizations are required by law to retain certain documents for predefined periods. Also, the amendments to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure went into effect on December 1, 2006, and apply to any firm involved in litigation in the U.S. Federal Court system. The amendments mandate that companies be prepared for electronic discovery. Firms have to drastically alter the way they preserve, retrieve and produce electronic data.

Competition is coming both from firms spread across the nation & the globe, as well as consultants & advisors who were traditionally not considered part of the “legal industry”

Competition – Because of the death of relationship lawyering, and “one stop shopping” by clients, firms cannot afford to be complacent anymore. Moreover, competition is as likely to come from the opposite end of the country or globe, as from local companies. Competition is also coming from other quarters, consultants and advisors who offer services that were previously the purview of lawyers. In this arena of intense competition, lawyers have to double up as “rainmakers” ; networkers (legal business development) in addition to traditional roles.

IT Needs of the Legal Industry

Centralized Document Storage – The legal profession generates a tremendous amount of digital information in the form of case files, contracts, court filings, exhibits, evidence, briefs, agreements, bills, notes, records and other office activity such as email. This information is the firm’s collective knowledge & learning which sets it apart from competition and needs to be retrieved again and again. Compliance also requires certain documents to be stored & retrievable for extended periods of time. Attorneys across different offices need to access and collaborate on this information.

In 2007, 53% percent of lawyers used a PDA outside of the office, 32% to check e-mail.

ABA Law Tech Report 2007

Remote Access – Ready access to crucial documents and information can sometimes be all the difference between a favorable or adverse judgment. Lawyers now have wings on their feet visiting clients, interviewing experts, or attending outstation court proceedings, and are often out of office. It is important that they are able gain LAN like access to documents from the firm’s repository even when they’re not at the office premises.

Document Collaboration – It is not enough to only be able to access documents from the firm’s storage. A single case file may need multiple inputs from attorneys with different expertise, clients, experts, researchers, and other associates spread over the country or even the globe (in case of outsourcing). Therefore it is important to have the ability to concurrently access and work together on the same file, from right where everybody is.

Remote Conferencing – Sometimes the ability to collaborate on a document may not suffice and actual discussion and knocking together of heads might be needed. Web conferencing allows multiple people to get together in a virtual meeting room and discuss issues as effectively as being there in person.

Security – A lot of the information a legal firm handles is highly sensitive client information, which it is bound my business ethics and contracts to protect. Since this information is mostly accessed and distributed over the public network of internet, and often distributed to third parties at some page, security is right at the top as a concern.

Access Control – Another level of security is the ability to manage who sees what information and what they can do with it. Since multiple parties like attorneys and associates across the company, outsourcing partners, and multiple clients access information from the firm’s central storage this is of prime importance.

Productivity Applications – Although managing documents and information is one of the most important things a law firms IT systems need to do, it is not all. They also need the ability to manage and share schedules, to maintain lists of important contacts, to manage and track different tasks and litigations teams or individual attorneys may be involved with, or billing management.

What They Don’t Need

41% of lawyers had no IT staff at any locations for their firm, while 17% have one person, 8% have two, and 38% have three or more

ABA Law Tech Report 2006

IT Hassles – If getting all the above goodies requires setting up a specialized IT department, installing expensive hardware, and managing ongoing maintenance and upgrades, it might just not be worth it for a small to mid sized law firm. Bigger firms have the deep pockets and incentive to set up dedicated systems, but it might not be sustainable for smaller firms.

Complexity – To ensure that attorneys embrace the IT system, attorneys should be able to concentrate on the information itself, rather than grappling with the nitty-gritties of the system.

Costs – Cost, of course is a top consideration for small to mid sized companies across industries. The ongoing costs and hefty capital investments needed for custom and enterprise systems are just out of reach.

Cut Your Taxes by 30 to 50% With a Home Based Business

You can cut your taxes 30-50% by starting and operating a home based business. There are major tax breaks available to people operating home based businesses.Congress has decided these breaks are necessary because home based businesses provide a safety net to Americans who might lose their jobs or face layoffs during these tough economic times.You are not dodging taxes or tricking the Internal Revenue Service.  You are taking advantage of legitimate means to minimize your tax liabilities.  The congress wants you to have this incentive because they believe home based businesses will be good for the economy.Your tax refund could grow by thousands of dollars through your home-based business. That should be enough to cover all your start up costs and leave you with 100% of what your home-based business earns.The qualifications are that you work 3-4 hours a week, keep good business records, and prove that you are attempting to be profitable.Having a home office for your business can allow you to substitute thousands of dollars of household expenses for tax-deductible business expenses.  As a home based businessperson, you have the following advantages, tax wise.o You can deduct household expenses such as mortgage interest, utilities, and home improvements.o You can get deductions for hiring your spouse and legal aged children to work for your business.o You can deduct automobile expenses if you use your car in some aspect of your business.  You can even put a small sign advertising your business on your car and write off gas and travel expenses every time you use it.o Deduct your vacation, if you distribute business cards where you are staying or make business contacts along the road.o Deduct meals with colleagues, even if they live with you.o You can deduct part of your phone bill, cell phone bill, and the bill from your Internet provider.o Any computer equipment like printers, monitors, routers, can be deducted as long as you are using the computer for business.o Office supply costs like pencils, pens, paper, and the furniture in your office space are deductible.This is a great opportunity for many Americans to cut their tax liability dramatically and have the security of knowing they have earning potential to fall back on if things were to go awry for them financially.The best part is that the federal government is offering these tax breaks in the hopes you will take advantage of them and start a home based business of your own. 

Home Based Business and Make Money Online – Is An Opportunity That Really Works?

Are you wondering if home based business and make money online is an opportunity that really works? If you hear resounding this question in your mind essentially is due to an uncertainty regard the following three things: first, how to build a successful home based business, second, you do not have a clear understanding on how to make money through online opportunity, third, you want to find easy ways to earn fast money online. Now, let me reveal you what I have discovered over the last few years spent in this industry.Home based business and make money online is an opportunity that works – Fact #1: Do you want to build a successful home based business? If yes, then you must take absolutely advantage of Internet. You have to take action in a very fast, smart and outrageous way, my friend.You may be asking yourself “Why should I take action, Alberto?” Because you have to know that what separates very successful entrepreneurs from not successful people is:1 – Timing;
2 – Right strategies;
3 – Immediate action;Nowadays, to be in possess of specific knowledge gives you tremendous power and advantage upon your marketplace. For example, you can get huge and effective exposure in front of your potential customers and outperform your competition. But remember: if you want to be successful the difference between understanding this knowledge and its implementation must be approximately close to zero! Today, the x-factor that makes entrepreneurs very successful is the timing. Do not ever forget this!In my experience in this industry I have seen too many entrepreneurs fail because of laziness in the implementation of specific knowledge, and for not respecting enough the timing.Home based business and make money online is an opportunity that works – Fact #2: Do you want to have a clear understanding on how to make money through online opportunity? I think there are different systems and methods for making money in this industry. One of the most effective is to be enough courageous for standing out of the crowd and gain your own space in the marketplace. How do you get it? Simply by differentiating you from thousands and thousands of marketers and entrepreneurs who already exist in the market. Building a brand in the correct way allows you to get specific positioning especially on the web. And get specific positioning on the internet is equivalent to achieve worldwide exposure practically at zero cost! Isn’t it fantastic? Obviously you need to figure out how to put together all the piece of the puzzle in the right way, isn’t right?Home based business and make money online is an opportunity that works – Fact #3: Do you want to find easy ways to earn fast money online? You have in front of your eyes already everything you need. Simply you must:1 – Choose your target market;
2 – Define your avatar ie the ideal prospect who you want to attract you and in your business opportunity;
3 – Settle your own positioning and your branding strategy in this market;
4 – Provide your effective solutions to your market’s problems and propose your special offer;
5 – See the money dropping in your bank account;It is a very easy and fast process, obviously if it is made in the right way! In fact, on one side you must get the right information and on the other you need a coach or a mentor who provides you effective and constant support.Unfortunately, too many people struggle with this last factor. They try to gain positioning in the market. They continue to do all by themselves. But after have wasted a lot of time, energy and efforts, in the most cases the end result is a bitter failure.What separates the majority of people who try to be successful from who is already extremely successful and earns millions upon millions of dollars in this industry is exactly the ability of make branding correctly. Naturally you need many other specific techniques, strategies and secrets for being successful in the home based business industry. But if you build a great brand around you, the results will be unbelievable!One of the most inestimable principles I have discovered in my marvelous journey toward success is this: first at all you must become a giver, starting to spread the invaluable gifts that you already have within you and continuing to expand, to grow and to push yourself over your boundaries.Because remember: people do not want to join to your business. People want to join to you! Thus, this is the reason of why you must improve, develop and grow yourself! You are as a tank that needs to be filled more and more with gold knowledge.You deserve all the success and the abundance that exists on this planet. And in order to get it, you must take massive action in a focused way and decide today to stand out of the crowd. My friend imprint forever in your mind this eternal truth: everything you need to succeed is already within you!