Peer to Peer Magazine

September 2013

The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association

Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/163881

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best practices The Attorney's Commune: Knowledge Strategies for Better Collaboration by Jeff Fried of BA Insight There is an epic battle playing out in law • firms between knowledge and information. Legal teams are seeking knowledge faster than ever before, but they must sift through an unprecedented amount of information. Search technology offers powerful capabilities that can catapult firms forward, increasing both effectiveness and efficiency. Many firms, however, do not make sufficient use of the technology available to them (or even the technology they own). By focusing on a few areas using proven effective knowledge strategies, firms can become more competitive — even in the face of an ever-increasing information landscape. Knowledge Strategy: Use a search-based application • developed for the legal industry, which empowers attorneys to find critical information using client-matter and subject-matter search • interfaces. Connect this application to all key systems (document management, matter management, practice management and • client management), and create a unified view of information. Don't accept a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, expect to • customize your systems to the unique information management needs of the firm's different practice groups. Using search • technology to provide agile information integration, law firm support teams can reduce their efforts dramatically and provide • users with a natural, intuitive interface tailored to each group. The most effective tactic is to use a template-based approach • SharePoint since it is built on an existing infrastructure with with which your IT team is already familiar. It will also offer team • members a unified view across an entire inventory of client records, which will help develop a holistic understanding of the knowledge • relevant information applicable to a particular case. and That insight will help your professionals plan and coordinate • missions. A single search query can provide access to legal their memoranda in a document management system and billing • information from a practice management tool, as well as key data from CRM applications and legal research platforms. Ultimately, • bridging information and creating natural, interactive systems, by firms can increase their efficiency and effectiveness exponentially • without the burden of manually combining their archives. Content to the Max Legal teams can begin the redefinition process by addressing two key elements of their approach to existing and prospective information. • Apply more effective search techniques, and focus on improving the way they find and deliver their most common documents. This not only saves time, it also opens up the firm's content for reuse. Connecting the search system to multiple information systems to create a unified view is a best practice. • Leverage their vast archive of information to simplify routine tasks that have become commoditized by incorporating document assembly techniques into their drafting processes. 8 Peer to Peer

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