I am inarguably the least tech savvy person here at Fuery Solutions. In my defense, my professional work thus far—whether in biopharmaceutical or legal—never really required me to keep abreast of the newest and the latest innovations in information technology. Besides, I have always worked at companies that had fairly sizable IT departments with a knowledgeable staff. However, I am not alone, lawyers have been the slowest adopters of new tech. Understandably, those of us in the legal profession focus most of our time and efforts on what's transpiring in court, various deadlines and the demands of multiple clients facing myriad of legal issues rather than what's happening in the technology industry.
If the 2013 ABA Legal Technology Survey Report is any indication, the legal industry has yet to catch up with other industries in embracing technology. But tech savvy young lawyers and even established law firms (albeit slowly) have begun to take advantage of the benefits technology has to offer in their practice. New technology has permeated almost every aspect of the legal profession in the form of e-billing, cloud-based case management system and e-discovery, just to list a new. Technology-related changes to the California/ABA Rules of Conduct is an example of the increasing prevalence of and the importance of technology in the legal profession.
As a lawyer, I am empathetic to the frustrations and the hesitation in adapting to new technology, especially where time always seems to be of the essence and there is little room for error. And to be honest, my real frustration and reluctance to embrace technology stems from not knowing as much as I should about how it works. But, that's a small hurdle to overcome compared to all the benefits technology has to offer, not the least of which is to eliminate the frustration of not understanding how something works when you need to use it.
In this fast-paced and constantly evolving technological landscape, it is essential for those in the legal profession to stop playing catch-up and stay ahead of the curve. Lawyers who embrace technology will not only acquire the skills necessary to stay competitive and relevant, but also reduce workload and costs, gaining the confidence of tech savvy clients for a more successful and profitable practice.
Written by Sooah Sohr, General Counsel at MerusCase
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