Digital White Papers

ILTA WHITE PAPER: JUNE 2014 WWW.ILTANET.ORG 8 Goals of the Litigation or Practice Support Group: • Financially, is the group a capital expenditure like most IT organizations? Is the group generating revenue with the goal of making a profit or simply recovering the cost of operation? • From a services delivery perspective, what is the desired balance of insourced versus outsourced tasks throughout the litigation (or other practice area) life cycle? • What role does risk management play in the goals of the group? • What privacy and security considerations exist for client data, attorney work product or other sources of e-discovery data? How does the location of that data (client, law firm, third-party vendor) affect data-handling and workflow? Determining the goals of the group will help you develop a plan to accomplish them. Law Firm Client Profile: • How engaged are the firm's clients in asking for or monitoring litigation/practice support services? From a litigation perspective, "serial litigants" are generally more willing to devote their own time and resources to ensure effective solutions and workflows are in place. This generates its own unique set of challenges of being flexible enough to meet the needs of all clients. THE SOCRATIC WAY It is apparent an extensive, even Socratic, array of questions and issues must be addressed as part of getting to know your business to identify business needs and solutions. There is no one right answer, system, solution or workflow that will add value within a law firm without a proper internal evaluation. In addition, the internal evaluation process is not just a prerequisite; it's a perpetual requirement for continued success. Maintaining an effective litigation/practice support organization — like any pursuit of knowledge — is a journey, not a destination. And don't forget, "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." — Socrates Defining the firm's practice portfolio will inform what solutions and workflows are most important and effective. A SOCRATIC NEEDS ANALYSIS

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