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17 I L T A N E T . O R G systems allow for the elimination of email and instead use pre-determined prompts or questions. This helps puts everyone on the same page and ensures staff are communicating about the same issues in the same terms, saving significant time and effort. Where do we go from here? As we head into yet another period of transition, it's important to re-evaluate how we have always done things: what tasks or processes are still necessary? And what we don't need to do anymore? Because many firms have undergone staffing changes over the last year or so, we must continue to think about how we can improve existing processes. Digital transformation will continue to be a core goal for many law firms. It seems likely we will continue to communicate with colleagues and clients around the country and the world through Zoom, Teams, and other general-purpose platforms for remote communications; but in the legal world, we will also need to look for better ways to prepare for litigation and conduct proceedings without having to be in the same room together. Based on our collective experience during the pandemic, it seems likely we will see an increase in virtual depositions, even in situations where they could take place in person. Also, while many courts may not be eager to hold fully virtual trials, they are likely to be more open to hybrid proceedings in which some participants take part from remote locations. From a cost and efficiency standpoint, integrating these technologies into post- pandemic workflows makes a lot of sense. The information management team at Vorys establishes a new goal every three to six months. Right now, our goal is to better understand how our legal professionals can thrive in a hybrid environment. We anticipate a significant portion of our workforce will continue to work remotely at least some of the time, even as most return to the office. This will require us not just to use the right tools, technology, and processes to accommodate these situations. It will also require that people who may not be physically in the office on a particular day are valued as full participants in the work we do. Conclusion While the pandemic imposed many changes on litigation practice, it has also served as an accelerator of changes that were already in progress. Just as law firms have undergone dramatic transformations, so have in-house counsel, and they are demanding innovation from the firms they work with. To succeed in an increasingly competitive global marketplace, law firms will have to continue to meet and exceed those expectations. No one could have predicted the changes over the last year, and no one can predict what will happen next. That's why it's important to create a culture in which continual change is not only accepted but embraced. ILTA Julie K. Brown is Director of Practice Technology at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, and has worked in legal technology for more than 30 years. Her experience includes managing large scale e-discovery and document productions, records management, litigation technology training and development of numerous litigation technology databases. She manages Vorys' litigation technology department, which provides in-house support, training, processing and production of e-discovery.

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