The Future of Legal Technology and Legal IT According to Randi Mayes, Executive Director of ILTA

09
Jul
2012

Randi Mayes

“The trouble with our times is that the future is not what it used to be.” (Paul Valéry, French poet and essayist)

Monsieur Valéry’s observation is not only clever, it’s pretty darned accurate. The unprecedented pressures on today’s legal community at large –– global economic instability, consumerization of technology, demands for new pricing models, increasing complexity and ubiquity of threats to information security, etc. –– provide both challenges and opportunities. That’s where technology and the folks who champion and support that technology in the legal profession take center stage.

Technology: Richard Susskind’s “The Future of Law” was first published in 1996, a year that now seems from a distant era. His vision of law firms as information providers seems closer to reality when aligned with the current commoditization of information, the facility of social and professional connections, and the move toward a true cloud environment.

To address the unprecedented pressures on the legal community described above, our technology providers are giving us tools to harness and manage knowledge. In parallel to the increasing volumes, velocity and varieties of information and data, technology advancements now occur at a speed that even Susskind could hardly imagine in 1996. Intelligence culled from information will drive the future of legal technology –– our KM and litigation support folks have known this for some time. Pricing model applications, security software, legal project management tools, business relationship analytics and much more will continue to support our changing legal landscape.

Professionals: Those who are faced with the challenges of leading and supporting technology change in their firms are finding great professional opportunities. While the current job market is a bit daunting, I believe some very interesting careers await those who can creatively refocus their skill sets and talents to meet the demands of the future. Much of this evolution has already begun; much more is on the horizon.

Consider these present and future trends:

• Knowledge management experts have emerged from our law libraries (and our law schools!)
• Client relationship and business development professionals are using their experiences from the trenches of traditional IT, finance and marketing to provide deep value to their firms
• Pricing model gurus will be in demand by business-savvy law firms
• Talent management leaders will arise from unique combinations of skills that were utilized across several functional departments
• LPO managers of the future will come from attorney and paralegal ranks

In all cases, future directors and C-level individuals will use their technical savvy, their business acumen, their communication skills, their social networking prowess and all the know-how that they’ve acquired in their firms.  They’ll refocus, repackage and reinvent themselves for positions that will be very much in demand.

Many law practices are changing and adapting, and those that lead the charge will likely thrive in the years ahead. That concept is one that many at the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) embrace. In fact, we have a forward-looking initiative, Law2020® (http://read.uberflip.com/i/67910), to provide education and resources to help smooth the path. Upon further reflection, I suggest an amendment to Monsieur Valéry’s observation: “The excitement with our times is that the future is not what it used to be.”