Peer to Peer Magazine

June 2010

The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association

Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/11430

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How to Wild West the Tame meteoric rise in legal fees (especially for those at or below the poverty line), and it’s understandable that, for better or worse, pro se numbers are growing. This doesn’t mean the pro se litigants are successful; in fact, most clog the system. Courts could incentivize online legal tools, thus making rote legal services a commodity in order to handle the increasing numbers of pro se/pro-savings litigants. This could further spawn more how-to sites (e.g. Legal Zoom), possibly even full-service legal websites staffed by online attorneys in a “pay-to-play” type system. • The Growing Popularity of SaaS or Web 2.0 Subscription Models Collection of data processes is sophisticated. Law firms need knowledge management or smart systems to manage the data. In the past, knowledge management software was prohibitively expensive to purchase or license and support for boutique and solo practitioners. Only the large law firms could absorb the large up-front costs. SaaS (software as a service), Web 2.0 options and the rise of the ubiquitous cloud are encouraging development or adaptation of software and workflows that were once beyond the pocket book of small to medium firms. The Evolution of the Mobile Network More than four-fifths of respondents report using a PDA / Smartphone / BlackBerry while away from the office (82%, compared with 67% in the 2008 survey, and 53% in 2007). 2009 ABA Legal Technology Survey Report Remember when BlackBerrys were the devices of the well- heeled firms who could afford exorbitant data fees? Those days are dead and gone. In fact: The mobile device will be the primary connection tool to the Internet for most people in the world in 2020. PEW Internet & American Live Project “The Future of the Internet III” There is no doubt that by 2020 we will be a mobile, wireless society. Work will no longer have to occur at a specific time, or, for that matter, in a specific time zone, or in a specific location like an office. Firms will discover that telecommuting will not only make for happy employees, but is also a cost-effective and efficient method for accommodating the business and technical realities of the New Frontier. The Truth About Pocket Watches and Railroads In truth, the reality may be a hybrid of the predictions expressed in the New Frontier vision. Whatever the case, one thing is clear: legal work will expand beyond a firm’s walls whether it’s Peer to Peer the quarterly magazine of ILTA 81 through regional offices, legal work on demand or online law firms. Exposure to risk will become a monstrous beast if it is only thought of in terms of security cameras and a big storage area network (SAN). A tight rein on the case management workflow must also be a part of the discussion. Today, almost 30 percent of legal malpractice claims are directly attributable to deadline and calendaring errors, and if the New Frontier legal technology predictions materialize (and some already have), that number will balloon. Maybe this is part of the reason that, according to the 2009 ILTA Purchasing Survey, 40 percent of respondents planned purchases in 2009/2010 for solutions that include docketing and document management solutions. Owning a calendar and docketing solution for controlling all firm-related matters will no longer be a nicety but an obligatory element of a firm’s risk management strategy. It’s not only the pocket watch but the new railroad that offers safe passage through treacherous territory into the 2020 New Frontier. It’s the Journey, Not the Destination Whatever predictions we choose to believe, there is little doubt that technology will grow exponentially by 2020. Even though the current economy is frail, and clients are asking for a reduction in fees while expecting the same high level of service, it doesn’t mean you should throw up your hands and ignore realities. Preparation for the future can be as simple as implementing a docketing solution with automated workflow technology. Even if we can’t tame all the technology promised for the Wild West of 2020, we can at least be prepared to travel into the New Frontier. ILTA Miki Kim, Senior Client Relations Manager for American LegalNet (ALN), has been involved in the legal industry for nearly 20 years, having worked for firms such as Irell & Manella; Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy; Munger Tolles & Olson; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (Los Angeles); and as an application consultant for several boutique firms in Southern California. She is a certified trainer of Fetch Technology, which is an artificial intelligence data aggregation learning system used by public and private sector industries. Miki can be reached at mkim@americanlegalnet.com.

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