Legal Tech: Establishing, Collecting, and Analyzing Metrics for Success
Liza Pestillos‑Ocat
As legal tech vendors, we’re often asked, “What’s the ROI on your software?” Our response is familia(...)
Generative AI in litigation: Turning talk into transformation
Opus 2
In recent years, generative AI (GenAI) has captured the legal industry's attention, moving from buzz(...)
In working with law firms for the past 20 years, I have seen the revolution. There was a time when single-purpose copy machines were just plugged into an outlet and that was the end of the story. But those days have long passed. Today, there is a vast array of multi-functional devices (MFDs) that copy, scan, fax, print, act as a portal into your document management system, and are the conduit for your cost recovery system. In conjunction with the growth of features available on these MFDs, there has been an explosion in the placement of standalone printers--both local and networked--in the legal environment.
Legal IT software shocker!
It’s taken me a while to write this up but a number of weeks back I saw a product demoed, that for the first time in ages had me thinking “Yes!”. Actually I originally saw this product months before at Tikit’s Word Excellence day, Jan Durant was demoing it and saying how fantastic it was, but at that point I didn’t see what the fuss was about. But in the recent demo I did, the idea is simple if not a bit boring, but it just seems exactly right!
The available database solutions for the litigation support market have radically evolved in the last decade. Many newer solutions use relational database technologies, specifically SQL (Structured Query Language). This discussion provides some insight into database solutions for litigation support and whether SQL should be the only choice. While there are many variations of SQL, for brevity, this is limited to Microsoft SQL Server. I am and have been a proponent of SQL Server for a variety of solutions, but as with any technology solution, it is only the right solution if it is chosen for the right reason and environment.
General Counsels and their staffs are under intense pressure to keep external and internal legal costs under control, while assuming a more business-oriented role and increased participation in strategic business decisions. This is a task that is easier said than done as legal departments need to embrace these responsibilities.
However, technology and the metrics it provides are literally changing the way savvy law departments do business. It’s no longer enough to reduce overhead or outside counsel spend, now is the time to improve legal services both internally and externally, lower the overall cost of these services, and become strategic partners of the business.
Social media. The articles and information never stops regarding this topic, it is here to stay. However, many law firms and solicitors/attorneys may be missing the boat. Kevin O’Keefe did a great blog post the other day called “The Anti-Social Media” regarding law firms being aniti-social with social media is costing them revenue by implementing strategies that focus on old-media ideas and one way communications on social platforms. The reason is that law firms are continuing to push one way marketing and business development like they did in the 20th century.
Burke reports from ABA TechShow
Christy Burke visited the ABA TECHSHOW, the annual legal technology conference of the American Bar Association. During the show, Christy interviewed a couple of legal IT leaders and asked them about their companies, new products and impressions of the conference.
A spotlight on Law Firm Security
As the rest of the world and industries tighten their security, it places law firms in the unenviable position of being viewed as the weakest link. So prevalent is the view, that the FBI convened a meeting of the top 200 law firms in New York City to deal with the increase in law firm cyber attacks. Clients, who read the early February Bloomsberg Businessweek article, saw Mary Galligan, head of the cyber division in the New York City office of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation quoted as referring to law firms as “much, much easier quarry,” for hackers. Alan Paller, director of research for the SANS Institute, had a four-part guest post on Forbes.com describing the hack of “a large law firm in New York.”
Revenues are not the best measure of your firm's financial health. Instead, look at your profitability to gauge your firm's financial position. It is not surprising that revenues get all the attention. In most areas, law firms are ranked by revenues, therefore, attorneys concentrate on increasing revenues. However, when you rely just on revenues to define how your firm is performing, it is easy to overlook important data -- what I call Profit Points -- that significantly impact the bottom line. The better you understand my 6 Profit Points, the more you can help your firm reach its profit goals.
Profit Point 1 – Centralized Client Records
It’s no longer a matter of simply filing documents in a file cabinet. On top of all the traditional paper documents and faxes that are still used, now law firms utilize:
I first saw a demo of WorkSite Communication Server 8.5SP2 when it was introduced a year or so ago. Since then its had some missed deadlines but finally was released in GA a couple of weeks ago. Partly the reason for its delay however was because of the many architectural changes in the software. The underlying code has been completely overhauled and the operation of WCS 8.5SP2 has been changed in a number of ways.
WCS 8.5SP2 has a number of key features all rolled up into one release:
Christy Burke reports live from LegalTech 2012
Christy Burke reports live from LegalTech New York 2012. During the conference, Christy interviews visitors and exhibitors and asks them about their companies, new products and impressions of the conference.
2012 is a critical year for the eDiscovery market. Companies have matured and now demand that eDiscovery processes be more predictable, efficient, and less costly. It is not uncommon to see companies connecting eDiscovery with broader information governance (IG) initiatives. Meanwhile, available solutions have evolved. No longer will a simple EDD processing application suffice; companies expect more full-service ECA applications and eDiscovery platforms.
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