Today’s lawyers implement a variety of new technologies, such as document and filing services, dictation devices, secure communication methods, research tools, and cloud based organizational software. Content [ hide] Dictation Devices
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The types of technologies used vary depending on the size of the firm and the area of law being practiced but many lawyers use practice management softwares (clio), time tracking and billing/invoicing softwares (lawpay & harvest), client intake softwares (EasyIntake), and form-generation softwares.
The right legal technology is the great equalizer for many law firms, helping them run more efficiently, satisfy clients better, research cases faster, tackle tasks more easily, and maintain an output that’s competitive with larger firms. Legal technology can also give your staff the ability to work remotely and have flexible work hours.
In fact, an attorney can now do research and jot down notes concerning a case, no matter where he may be. Mobile technology allows attorneys to brainstorm and figure out winning strategies while they are waiting for a restaurant to prepare them for dinner.
This technology is crucial to a properly run firm. It lets us keep everything related to a client, emails, documents, notes, research, all in one place and connected to the specific client. A good system lets you pull up everything related to a particular client with one search.
A dictation device can be a lawyer’s best friend when it comes to recording and organizing spoken information. There are a host of dictation technologies that have been publicly available for years now, and they have become a staple in many a lawyer’s toolkit. Dictation devices aid lawyers in doing a variety of tasks, such as taking notes, recording legal briefings, and organizing thoughts.
This sort of software allows lawyers to organize and manage court dates, automate cases, calendar events, templates, case files, etc. Lawyers who implement this technology are able to organize the substantial amount of data they have to work with into an easy to access virtual filing cabinet.
“ Casetext ” is one of these research tools that has a feature which allows lawyers to upload a legal document and the Casetext service will find the relevant case law for the lawyer. This alone cuts out a significant amount of research time and allows lawyers to focus their attention to more important things than just sorting through documents for hours, like actually reading those documents.
Computers have opened up a huge door for attorneys to access specific case-law decisions that may have taken a lifetime to come across the old-fashioned way. Because the laws are becoming more complex, it is necessary to have factually specific cases to persuade judges to rule in your favor.
In fact, an attorney can now do research and jot down notes concerning a case, no matter where he may be. Mobile technology allows attorneys to brainstorm and figure out winning strategies while they are waiting for a restaurant to prepare them for dinner.
Attorneys can now comb through social media to find evidence to use against another party. Most parties don’t realize that this information is so easy to access. They may not understand their privacy settings or how the information can be used in court to weaken their cases.
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nicole Black. My column, Today’s Tech, will highlight how individual lawyers are using specific technologies in their law practices. More on my column later, but first let me explain who I am and why I’m writing this column.
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The right technology can help. Here’s how: 1 Automation. Automating time-consuming tasks such as client intake saves your staff time and makes for a smoother client experience. 2 Integrated systems. The best tools integrate directly with each other. You’ll never have to key in important data twice, or waste time in multiple systems. 3 Access from anywhere. With the rise of cloud computing, lawyers can now access their practices from anywhere, so you can practice whenever and wherever you’re most efficient. 4 Better collaboration. With tools like cloud-based law practice management software, all key matter information is in one place, and anyone can work on a matter together—even if they’re working in different offices. 5 Streamlined payments. The Legal Trends Report also found that lawyers who accept online credit card payments get paid 39% faster than those who do not. In other words, with the right credit card processor, technology gets you paid faster.
In more and more states, lawyers have a duty of technology competence —a responsibility to “keep abreast of changes in the law and its practice, including the benefits and risks associated with relevant technology.”.
If you’re using any technology in your law firm, it’s likely office productivity software (OPS). Encompassing word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software, and email, productivity suites provide—at the bare minimum—the functionality that you need to succeed in the world of business.
After years of running locally installed versions of Microsoft Office, many law firms are starting to embrace Office 365, which offers the same functionality as the original suite, but with the flexibility and accessibility of the cloud. Learn more about Office 365. 2.
Tech is not the first step, tech is the second step. The first step is establishing a clear vision of the process that you want to accomplish, and then tech comes in as the tool, or set of tools, that can be used to accomplish that more efficiently.
You’re a lawyer, not an accountant —but to run a successful business, you still need to manage your finances efficiently and effectively. The latest generation of cloud accounting solutions provides all the features of a full-time accountant at a fraction of the cost, including payments, invoicing, bank reconciliation, cash flow management, and expense claims.
Setting up unified communication tools enable lawyers to work remotely while diversifying the ways they communicate with clients and each other. By using these tools, lawyers are able to be more productive. Lawyers can communicate with clients wherever and whenever they are needed.
Social media is becoming more popular as a forum for lawyers to network and collaborate. LinkedIn is a logical choice for lawyers because of its focus on professional growth and networking. However, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube also have their benefits.
Even so, the process can be costly to clients because of the time it takes. eDiscovery automation software uses analytics to speed up the process. Advanced analytics can search for keywords and phrases. Automation also eliminates irrelevant documents, streamlining the process.
Today, most of these documents are digital. Evidence could come from email, mobile devices, database archives, or IoT devices. eDiscovery tasks are often relegated to paralegals.
Last year, the Harvard Law School Library announced the completion of its Caselaw Access Project (CAP), in which Harvard’s entire case law library was scanned, thereby digitizing 334 years of legal history. The CAP project makes state and federal decisions readily accessible to lawyers all over the U.S. Technology makes lawyers’ jobs easier and ...
Scanners. The ability to digitize documents is essential for lawyers in 2021, so a scanner (or scanner app on your phone) is key. From legal documents to expense receipts, lawyers deal with papers and documents daily that they need to easily and access on demand, from anywhere.
High-quality legal research is essential for your law firm’s success. Today’s tools put searchable law libraries, decisions, and other key details right at your fingertips. This way, you can conduct your legal research faster and more effectively.
eDiscovery tools. Now more than ever, the majority of discovery is electronic, or eDiscovery. While the move towards more electronic discovery saves time in itself, you can also use tech tools for lawyers to streamline your discovery process.
Online payments—that is, accepting credit card payments through an online platform such as Clio Payments, LawPay, or PayPal—make it easy and more convenient for clients to pay, so lawyers can get paid faster.
E-signature tools. Electronic signatures are more convenient to coordinate (and less back-and-forth means less room for human error). They also make legal work faster and more efficient for lawyers and clients, and save paper (which is key as more firms are going paperless).
Word processors. As a lawyer, you’re constantly drafting documents and letters, so a word processor is a highly necessary lawyer tool. But we recommend using a cloud-based word processor to take your document and letter drafting up a notch—by having the ability to work and access your legal documents remotely.
According to the 2020 Legal Trends Report, 37% of consumers now prefer to meet virtually with a lawyer for a consultation or first meeting. Even more (50%) would rather follow-up meetings be via video conference.
That's why it's important to be flexible, and to gain as much breadth of knowledge as you can during law school. Five or ten years down the road, if your primary business dries up, you need to have the adaptability and intellect to capitalize on new opportunities.
Your state's bar association can be a powerful resource, if you use it intelligently . Each state's association offers a wide range of services to members, but they don't advertise as aggressively as Westlaw and Lexis-Nexis. You'll need to take the initiative to find out for yourself what's available in your state, but it's time well invested. For example, instead of buying your own subscription to a service you'd only use occasionally, you might be able to access that same information through your bar association's subscription.
Outsiders don't usually understand how much of a legal practice depends on personal connections and networking. With a few specialized exceptions, lawyers offer almost undifferentiated services. Pick up the phone book in any town and you'll see page after page of advertisements for lawyers, all very much alike.