This document discusses how technology is fundamentally transforming legal practice, highlighting key changes such as the increasing use of social networks and smartphones among lawyers. It emphasizes the accessibility of legal services enabled by technology, which benefits solo practitioners and small firms, and the evolving nature of client relationships and expectations. Additionally, it underscores the importance of staying updated with technological advancements to maintain competency in the legal field.

1. 10 ways
technology
is rewiring
law practice
(and what it means to you)
FirmFuture, Oct. 1, 2012 Robert J. Ambrogi Esq. www.lawsitesblog.com

2. -Yogi Berra

3. Legal tech milestones
1867: 1993: Mobile
First type- 1977: phone use
writer First PC spreads
1876: 1992: World
Telephone Wide Web
invented.

4. 1. There is

5. “Technology has
irrevocably changed
and continues to alter
the practice of law
in fundamental ways.”
-ABA Commission on Ethics 20/20

6. 2. We are more

7. Lawyers who belong to a social network
2008 2010 2012
15% 56% 78%
Survey: ABA Legal Technology Survey Report

8. Law firms that have a blog
2010 2011 2012
14% 15% 22%
Survey: ABA Legal Technology Survey Report

9. ABA 2012 Legal Technology Survey

10. 3. We are more

11. Lawyers who use smartphones
2007 2009 2010 2012
38% 64% 76% 89%
Survey: ABA Legal Technology Survey Report

12. ABA 2012 Legal Technology Survey

13. ABA 2012 Legal Technology Survey

14. 4. We are more

15. “People are
increasingly drawn
toward the simplicity of
services and service-
enabled software that
just works.”
- Ray Ozzie, former Microsoft
chief software architect

16. Lawyers who use Web-based software
2008 2010 2012
13% 20% 21%
Survey: ABA Legal Technology Survey Report

17. ABA 2012 Legal Technology Survey

18. ABA 2012 Legal Technology Survey

19. 5.We are more

20. ABA 2012 Legal Technology Survey

21. ABA 2012 Legal Technology Survey

22. 6. We are more

23. ABA 2012 Legal Technology Survey

24. ABA 2012 Legal Technology Survey

25. 7. We are
more

26. “Technology has leveled the
playing field, enabling solo
practitioners and small law firms
to establish a large-firm-like
presence online and serve clients
in locations that fall outside their
historical/traditional geographic
reach.”
- Technology’s Transformation of the Legal Field,
Robert Half Legal, August 2012

27. “Globalization continues to
transform the legal marketplace,
with more clients confronting legal
problems that cross jurisdictional
lines and more lawyers needing to
respond to those client needs by
crossing borders (including
virtually).
- ABA Commission on Ethics 20/20

28. 8. We are
more

29. Research Communications
Marketing Management
Collaboration Networking

30. 9. Clients
are more

32. Consumers Most Trust Real Friends and Virtual Strangers

35. 10. Clients are more

36. “Technology is a double-
edged sword. One result is
that we have great new tools
with which to do our jobs.
But at the same time, the
pace of our work — and
therefore of our lives — has
increased with each new
tool.”

37. What these
changes mean
for you …

38. 1.

39. “To maintain the requisite
knowledge and skill, a lawyer
should keep abreast of changes
in the law and its practice,
including the benefits and risks
associated with technology…”
- August 2012 change to comment to
ABA Model Rule 1.1, Competence

40. 2.

41. “Markets are conversations…
“These conversations are most
often about value: the value of
products and of the businesses
that sell them.”
- The Cluetrain Manifesto

42. 3.

43. ABA Model Rule
on Practice • Practice up to one
Pending year in new state
Admission
ABA Model Rule
on Admission by
• Admission by
Motion motion after 3 years
Uniform Bar
Exam • In use in 10 states

44. 4.

45. 5.

46. 6.

47. 7.

48. 8.

49. 9.

50. 10.

51. www.lawsitesblog.com
ambrogi@legaline.com
@bobambrogi