New Survey Finds Am Law 200 Attorneys Predict Paperless Law Firms by 2020

Global News

28
Oct
2015

Editor

Study by kCura and Ari Kaplan Outlines How Mobile Use is Maturing among Law Firm Partners

kCura, developers of the e-discovery software Relativity, announced today the results of a survey examining how partners at some of the largest law firms in the country are adopting mobile technology to enhance customer service and prepare for a paperless future.

kCura and Ari Kaplan, founder of Ari Kaplan Advisors and author of the study, will present a live discussion on the complete results and the state of mobile use in law firms during a free webinar on November 12.

“We’re curious about how law firms are incorporating mobile technology into their practices and businesses,” said David Horrigan, e-discovery counsel and legal content director at kCura. “Attorneys are adapting to the increasing pressures of their practices, and the results of this study indicate mobile technology is the way many of them are doing it.”

The study contains insight from the respondents on their view of the future practice of law, as driven by changes in mobile technology use. In addition to the paperless future predicted by the majority of respondents, the partners involved in this study made further forecasts, including a loss of the face-to-face aspects of practicing law as mobile communications increase, as well as a growth in the number of remote first-pass document reviewers.

Other key survey findings include:

• 75 percent of respondents believe using mobile devices in the courtroom will become the norm, while 17 percent of respondents believe mobile devices in the courtroom are already the norm
• 60 percent of respondents cited efficiency as one of the most exciting aspects of mobile technology; one respondent said, “I can pitch to a client that I am a remote lawyer working from wherever with 24/7 access; I am just an email away.”
• 44 percent of respondents use mobile applications for e-discovery
• All respondents rated mobile access as essential to their job

“The adoption of mobile technology is often seen as a necessity, but also something of a challenge,” said Kaplan. “However, within the next five years, we are likely to see a dramatic shift in the configuration of law firms, law offices, and the way in which legal professionals interact on a daily basis. The traditional office space, desk, and means of communication are likely to change significantly.”

For the survey, Ari Kaplan Advisors conducted in-depth interviews with 25 partners responsible for e-discovery at Am Law 200 firms. In a series of supplemental interviews, Ari Kaplan Advisors also spoke with six directors of litigation support at similar-sized firms for additional perspective. Kaplan presented a sneak peek of these survey results earlier this month at kCura’s annual e-discovery conference, Relativity Fest.

Results from the survey can be found here.