Future Law Office 2020: Redefining the Practice of Law examines key trends affecting the legal field today. Part of Robert Half Legal’s annual research project, the report offers insight into developments that are reshaping law practice management strategies and are expected to drive change within the legal profession by the year 2020. Learn best practices and future predictions from leading experts in the legal field as well as our legal staffing and consulting professionals.
Thukral Law Associates is a leading Indian legal firm and pioneer in the legal industry of India and abroad. The firm started humbly in a small office but has grown significantly. It is now one of the top legal firms, partnering with over 120 law firms globally. The firm provides extensive legal services and representation to both domestic and international clients across various fields of law.
The document summarizes research from the CEB Marketing Leadership Council on the digital evolution in B2B marketing. It finds that customers now self-diagnose problems and decide on solutions before engaging sales. Marketing and sales must get involved earlier and disrupt customers' purchase criteria. This requires fewer, higher-impact ideas and concentrated execution. Content roles must be formalized and digital teams integrated, rather than operating in silos. Insights come more from smart human analysis than tools.
The Times 26-11-2015 Raconteur p10 - Now lawyers are strategic advisersGalit Gonen-Cohen
The role of the general counsel has evolved significantly in recent years due to increased regulation and new challenges from technology. General counsels now face higher workloads, pressure to control legal budgets, and complex issues around data storage, privacy, cybersecurity, and intellectual property. They are also expected to serve as strategic business advisers. Some general counsels have adapted by strengthening relationships with outside law firms and leveraging technology and data insights. The role requires balancing legal and business imperatives while managing regulatory risk.
The document discusses key factors for a successful tri-party relationship between an in-house legal team, an outside law firm, and a legal outsourcing vendor. It states that the relationship must be a "win-win" for all parties involved. It also emphasizes that the law firm plays an important role in managing service delivery, ensuring quality standards, and maintaining professional obligations. Finally, it stresses the importance of evaluating the outside law firm's ability to direct new vendor capabilities, increase alternative fee arrangements, and accomplish more through outsourcing rather than just reducing costs.
White Paper (How to Use Law Degree) 9.18.14)Richard Brock
This document discusses how the traditional paths to success with a law degree, such as joining a large or small law firm, are no longer viable options for many lawyers due to changes in the legal industry. Technological advances, outsourcing, reduced demand from clients, and new competitors have made it harder to earn a good income as a lawyer. The document argues that rather than debating whether law school is "worth it," graduates should focus on determining the best way to use their law degree given this new reality of the legal job market.
The document summarizes a roundtable discussion on challenges and opportunities for legal firms presented by Konica Minolta. It discusses how clients are demanding more transparency, fixed fees, and technology-enabled work. Legal firms must adopt technologies to streamline processes, improve efficiency, and facilitate real-time access to information in order to meet rising client expectations and remain profitable. Konica Minolta provides solutions and services to help legal firms better manage documents and information, enabling more collaborative and process-oriented work.
Innovation and the future of the legal marketDeborah Gray
Innovation has become increasingly important in the legal market as firms face competitive pressures and changing client demands. Law firms that have embraced innovation through new service models, technology, and business functions have seen significant transformation over the past decade. While innovation often occurs during difficult economic times, many firms are now dedicating resources like innovation hubs and managers to foster creativity and new ideas. This focus on innovation signals to clients that firms are willing to change and improves firms' ability to win new business through more competitive proposals.
Thukral Law Associates is a leading Indian legal firm and pioneer in the legal industry of India and abroad. The firm started humbly in a small office but has grown significantly. It is now one of the top legal firms, partnering with over 120 law firms globally. The firm provides extensive legal services and representation to both domestic and international clients across various fields of law.
The document summarizes research from the CEB Marketing Leadership Council on the digital evolution in B2B marketing. It finds that customers now self-diagnose problems and decide on solutions before engaging sales. Marketing and sales must get involved earlier and disrupt customers' purchase criteria. This requires fewer, higher-impact ideas and concentrated execution. Content roles must be formalized and digital teams integrated, rather than operating in silos. Insights come more from smart human analysis than tools.
The Times 26-11-2015 Raconteur p10 - Now lawyers are strategic advisersGalit Gonen-Cohen
The role of the general counsel has evolved significantly in recent years due to increased regulation and new challenges from technology. General counsels now face higher workloads, pressure to control legal budgets, and complex issues around data storage, privacy, cybersecurity, and intellectual property. They are also expected to serve as strategic business advisers. Some general counsels have adapted by strengthening relationships with outside law firms and leveraging technology and data insights. The role requires balancing legal and business imperatives while managing regulatory risk.
The document discusses key factors for a successful tri-party relationship between an in-house legal team, an outside law firm, and a legal outsourcing vendor. It states that the relationship must be a "win-win" for all parties involved. It also emphasizes that the law firm plays an important role in managing service delivery, ensuring quality standards, and maintaining professional obligations. Finally, it stresses the importance of evaluating the outside law firm's ability to direct new vendor capabilities, increase alternative fee arrangements, and accomplish more through outsourcing rather than just reducing costs.
White Paper (How to Use Law Degree) 9.18.14)Richard Brock
This document discusses how the traditional paths to success with a law degree, such as joining a large or small law firm, are no longer viable options for many lawyers due to changes in the legal industry. Technological advances, outsourcing, reduced demand from clients, and new competitors have made it harder to earn a good income as a lawyer. The document argues that rather than debating whether law school is "worth it," graduates should focus on determining the best way to use their law degree given this new reality of the legal job market.
The document summarizes a roundtable discussion on challenges and opportunities for legal firms presented by Konica Minolta. It discusses how clients are demanding more transparency, fixed fees, and technology-enabled work. Legal firms must adopt technologies to streamline processes, improve efficiency, and facilitate real-time access to information in order to meet rising client expectations and remain profitable. Konica Minolta provides solutions and services to help legal firms better manage documents and information, enabling more collaborative and process-oriented work.
Innovation and the future of the legal marketDeborah Gray
Innovation has become increasingly important in the legal market as firms face competitive pressures and changing client demands. Law firms that have embraced innovation through new service models, technology, and business functions have seen significant transformation over the past decade. While innovation often occurs during difficult economic times, many firms are now dedicating resources like innovation hubs and managers to foster creativity and new ideas. This focus on innovation signals to clients that firms are willing to change and improves firms' ability to win new business through more competitive proposals.
The Future of Legal Services, NCSB Committee to Study Regulatory Reform, July...Legal Evolution PBC
Overview of economic forces currently impacting the market for legal services. Includes transition from one-to-one to one-to-many legal products and solutions. Challenge for profession is to lagging legal productivity. Requires investment in multidisciplinary human capital combined with the creation of new business models.
The Case for Legal Services and ID Theft BenefitsYoichi Kato
This document discusses the rationale for employers to offer legal services and identity theft protection as voluntary employee benefits. Around 800,000 to 900,000 couples divorce each year in the U.S., and over a million people filed for bankruptcy in 2014, demonstrating employees' need for access to legal assistance. Identity theft is also on the rise, with over 250,000 Americans becoming victims each year. These situations can be disruptive for employees and reduce productivity. While only a minority of employers currently offer these benefits, providing legal services and identity theft protection can help minimize lost work time and stress for employees dealing with these issues. Such plans range in cost from $12-25 per employee per month when purchased voluntarily.
Michael Anderson. n8587621. LLH302 Critique Assessment.Michael Anderson
This summary analyzes the need for new ethical rules and guidelines for legal professionals working in commercial contexts and using social media.
1) Current ethical rules are insufficient for lawyers working in commercial businesses due to greater pressures from business interests that could compromise independence and confidentiality. New specific rules are needed to regulate conduct in these contexts.
2) Social media use by lawyers is also not adequately covered by existing general guidelines. A uniform set of national rules for social media should be established to address professional responsibilities online.
3) While current rules emphasize duties to courts over business clients, the growing fusion of legal practice and commerce requires acknowledgment and ethical frameworks that recognize this reality and its challenges.
Considering these vital factors Insights Success has curated the list of “The 10 Most Innovative EDiscovery Disruptors of 2018” which have revolutionized legal ecosystem with their unique, scalable and cost-efficient offerings.
Overview of regulatory change in legal services market (June 2020)Legal Evolution PBC
An overview and summary of US states currently implementing or studying possible regulatory changes in the market for legal services. Presentation created by Alice Mine and Brian Oten of the North Carolina State Bar.
Broker Opportunity: Legal and Identity Theft Solutions as Voluntary BenefitsAntonio Muniz Olan
This white paper explores nine reasons for
benefits brokers to embrace this evolving
business model, and the competitive gains they
stand to make in offering their clients voluntary
products such as IDT protection and legal plans.
This document provides a summary of key content from the 2009 and 2010 issues of ALB magazine, including the top law firms in Australia as employers of choice. It discusses the results of ALB's employer of choice survey, including factors that motivate lawyers' career decisions such as work-life balance, quality of work, and firm culture. Two law firms, Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Corrs Chambers Westgarth, were highlighted as top-ranking employers of choice in consecutive years due to their emphasis on professional development, involvement of junior lawyers in client work, and opportunities to work on high-profile matters. The summary also notes that while compensation is important, quality of work and work-life balance were higher priorities for lawyers
Understanding the Real Value of IT and Proving it to the BusinessTeamQuest Corporation
CIOs want IT to demonstrate business value, but only 27% of those surveyed believe IT contributes to the company's strategic business goals. Find out how IT can effectively measure cost and value, properly plan for future business successes, and focus on business goals in this special report from Computer Weekly.
5 lexis nexis legal innovation powered by ai_min chenAnnaKurusu
LexisNexis is a leading global provider of legal and business information and analytics. It aims to increase productivity and improve decision-making through artificial intelligence technologies. The VP & CTO of Asia Pacific discussed projects at LexisNexis' Shanghai technology center applying AI, including semantic search, case recommendation based on similar legal principles, and automatic summarization of US court cases to improve efficiency.
Prospective factors to involve in different e business models in bangladeshRizwan Rebate
Many Bangladeshi companies currently distribute their images through the Internet to clients all over the world, but the monetary transactions take place through conventional means. Some companies put messages on bulletin board, on ' internet yellow pages' with email links, and sometimes web pages, but there never is a place to submit a credit card. This is because currently the government does not permit credit card charges over the internet. However, the ISPs in Bangladesh do have the technology for e-business, e-business and are anticipating governmental approval in near future. In this circumstances, prospective factors will gain advantages for companies before involving in e-business. We have identified few questions to be answered-
1) What are different e-business models in Bangladesh?
2) What are the benefits behind involving in e-business in Bangladesh?
3) What are the prospects in current e-business models in Bangladesh?
Openlearn, an Australian e-learning provider, wanted to pursue opportunities in state and federal government sectors. They had searched individual government websites but found it time-consuming with limited results. They subscribed to TenderLink's notification service and almost immediately received notifications of relevant tenders. Within months, they were notified of and won their largest contract, in Western Australia, which they likely would not have found without TenderLink. As a result of subscribing, Openlearn now spends less time searching and sources more opportunities across Australia.
The legal firms today are very competitive, streamlined, and accessible and at the same time thoroughly professional. In this issue of Insights Success, we are glad to enlist “The 10 Most Influential Law Firms in Maharashtra”. These legal firms are providing legal advises in a manner that is relevant with the times today.
Direct Source and Engage Highly Skilled Independent Talent with Controlled Co...MBO Partners
This webinar, “Directly Source and Engage Highly Skilled Independent Talent with Controlled Cost and Risk,” is brought to you by Spend Matters and MBO Partners. In it, you will learn about the fast growing independent professional workforce segment along with the state-of-the-art models for effectively and efficiently engaging these professionals. Key topics will be:
- Recent studies into the demographics of independent professionals and how they increasingly prefer self-employed status and direct engagement with clients.
- How enabling direct sourcing of these workers can be a highly efficient alternative to the traditional staffing supply chain.
- How integrated procurement models, such as source-to-pay, and technology-enabled platforms, including work intermediation platforms (WIPs) and freelancer management systems (FMS) are transforming the way businesses engage independent talent efficiently and with less compliance risk, while achieving new visibility into and control over contractor spend.
- How MBO Partners provides unique engagement alternatives that enable efficient, low-risk direct sourcing and engagement of highly skilled independent talent.
PwC is the second largest professional services firm present in 154 countries. It provides accounting and consulting services to 425 of the Fortune Global 500 companies. In 1998, PwC was formed through the merger of Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand. PwC works across various industries like consumer products, automotive, retail, pharmaceuticals, consumer services, electricity, transportation, healthcare, education, financial services, technology, entertainment and media.
La reunión presentó una nueva plataforma digital para las familias, explicando sus objetivos y funciones. Los padres recibieron sus claves de acceso para explorar por sí mismos la plataforma y ver la información disponible sobre sus hijos.
Este documento lista palabras que contienen vocales largas. Las palabras incluyen nombres como "eagle" y "bee", así como verbos como "do" y "put" y otros objetos como "box", "glue", y "uniform".
El informe presenta los resultados de Italo Reyes González en un concurso de méritos docentes. Reyes González obtuvo puntajes altos en las pruebas de aptitudes numéricas, verbales y competencias básicas que van desde 89.66 hasta 90.36. En la prueba psicotécnica obtuvo un puntaje de 72.81.
Sistema de almacenamiento de informaciónjhon cardozo
Este documento compara diferentes tipos de sistemas de almacenamiento de información como la memoria ROM y RAM, y describe los registros de desplazamiento y sus características. También discute 3 diferencias entre las memorias digitales y de núcleo magnético, incluyendo que las memorias digitales tienen menor capacidad y son más portátiles, mientras que las de núcleo magnético se usan más en computadoras debido a su gran capacidad de almacenamiento. Finalmente, destaca la importancia creciente de la portabilidad a medida que la
La persona desea que la destinataria tenga un día fantástico rodeada de amor y cariño de aquellos que la quieren, aunque algunos estén más cerca físicamente y otros más lejos, pero todos estarán cerca en el corazón. Le desea que sople las velas de cumpleaños y pida un deseo, asegurando que se hará realidad.
The Future of Legal Services, NCSB Committee to Study Regulatory Reform, July...Legal Evolution PBC
Overview of economic forces currently impacting the market for legal services. Includes transition from one-to-one to one-to-many legal products and solutions. Challenge for profession is to lagging legal productivity. Requires investment in multidisciplinary human capital combined with the creation of new business models.
The Case for Legal Services and ID Theft BenefitsYoichi Kato
This document discusses the rationale for employers to offer legal services and identity theft protection as voluntary employee benefits. Around 800,000 to 900,000 couples divorce each year in the U.S., and over a million people filed for bankruptcy in 2014, demonstrating employees' need for access to legal assistance. Identity theft is also on the rise, with over 250,000 Americans becoming victims each year. These situations can be disruptive for employees and reduce productivity. While only a minority of employers currently offer these benefits, providing legal services and identity theft protection can help minimize lost work time and stress for employees dealing with these issues. Such plans range in cost from $12-25 per employee per month when purchased voluntarily.
Michael Anderson. n8587621. LLH302 Critique Assessment.Michael Anderson
This summary analyzes the need for new ethical rules and guidelines for legal professionals working in commercial contexts and using social media.
1) Current ethical rules are insufficient for lawyers working in commercial businesses due to greater pressures from business interests that could compromise independence and confidentiality. New specific rules are needed to regulate conduct in these contexts.
2) Social media use by lawyers is also not adequately covered by existing general guidelines. A uniform set of national rules for social media should be established to address professional responsibilities online.
3) While current rules emphasize duties to courts over business clients, the growing fusion of legal practice and commerce requires acknowledgment and ethical frameworks that recognize this reality and its challenges.
Considering these vital factors Insights Success has curated the list of “The 10 Most Innovative EDiscovery Disruptors of 2018” which have revolutionized legal ecosystem with their unique, scalable and cost-efficient offerings.
Overview of regulatory change in legal services market (June 2020)Legal Evolution PBC
An overview and summary of US states currently implementing or studying possible regulatory changes in the market for legal services. Presentation created by Alice Mine and Brian Oten of the North Carolina State Bar.
Broker Opportunity: Legal and Identity Theft Solutions as Voluntary BenefitsAntonio Muniz Olan
This white paper explores nine reasons for
benefits brokers to embrace this evolving
business model, and the competitive gains they
stand to make in offering their clients voluntary
products such as IDT protection and legal plans.
This document provides a summary of key content from the 2009 and 2010 issues of ALB magazine, including the top law firms in Australia as employers of choice. It discusses the results of ALB's employer of choice survey, including factors that motivate lawyers' career decisions such as work-life balance, quality of work, and firm culture. Two law firms, Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Corrs Chambers Westgarth, were highlighted as top-ranking employers of choice in consecutive years due to their emphasis on professional development, involvement of junior lawyers in client work, and opportunities to work on high-profile matters. The summary also notes that while compensation is important, quality of work and work-life balance were higher priorities for lawyers
Understanding the Real Value of IT and Proving it to the BusinessTeamQuest Corporation
CIOs want IT to demonstrate business value, but only 27% of those surveyed believe IT contributes to the company's strategic business goals. Find out how IT can effectively measure cost and value, properly plan for future business successes, and focus on business goals in this special report from Computer Weekly.
5 lexis nexis legal innovation powered by ai_min chenAnnaKurusu
LexisNexis is a leading global provider of legal and business information and analytics. It aims to increase productivity and improve decision-making through artificial intelligence technologies. The VP & CTO of Asia Pacific discussed projects at LexisNexis' Shanghai technology center applying AI, including semantic search, case recommendation based on similar legal principles, and automatic summarization of US court cases to improve efficiency.
Prospective factors to involve in different e business models in bangladeshRizwan Rebate
Many Bangladeshi companies currently distribute their images through the Internet to clients all over the world, but the monetary transactions take place through conventional means. Some companies put messages on bulletin board, on ' internet yellow pages' with email links, and sometimes web pages, but there never is a place to submit a credit card. This is because currently the government does not permit credit card charges over the internet. However, the ISPs in Bangladesh do have the technology for e-business, e-business and are anticipating governmental approval in near future. In this circumstances, prospective factors will gain advantages for companies before involving in e-business. We have identified few questions to be answered-
1) What are different e-business models in Bangladesh?
2) What are the benefits behind involving in e-business in Bangladesh?
3) What are the prospects in current e-business models in Bangladesh?
Openlearn, an Australian e-learning provider, wanted to pursue opportunities in state and federal government sectors. They had searched individual government websites but found it time-consuming with limited results. They subscribed to TenderLink's notification service and almost immediately received notifications of relevant tenders. Within months, they were notified of and won their largest contract, in Western Australia, which they likely would not have found without TenderLink. As a result of subscribing, Openlearn now spends less time searching and sources more opportunities across Australia.
The legal firms today are very competitive, streamlined, and accessible and at the same time thoroughly professional. In this issue of Insights Success, we are glad to enlist “The 10 Most Influential Law Firms in Maharashtra”. These legal firms are providing legal advises in a manner that is relevant with the times today.
Direct Source and Engage Highly Skilled Independent Talent with Controlled Co...MBO Partners
This webinar, “Directly Source and Engage Highly Skilled Independent Talent with Controlled Cost and Risk,” is brought to you by Spend Matters and MBO Partners. In it, you will learn about the fast growing independent professional workforce segment along with the state-of-the-art models for effectively and efficiently engaging these professionals. Key topics will be:
- Recent studies into the demographics of independent professionals and how they increasingly prefer self-employed status and direct engagement with clients.
- How enabling direct sourcing of these workers can be a highly efficient alternative to the traditional staffing supply chain.
- How integrated procurement models, such as source-to-pay, and technology-enabled platforms, including work intermediation platforms (WIPs) and freelancer management systems (FMS) are transforming the way businesses engage independent talent efficiently and with less compliance risk, while achieving new visibility into and control over contractor spend.
- How MBO Partners provides unique engagement alternatives that enable efficient, low-risk direct sourcing and engagement of highly skilled independent talent.
PwC is the second largest professional services firm present in 154 countries. It provides accounting and consulting services to 425 of the Fortune Global 500 companies. In 1998, PwC was formed through the merger of Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand. PwC works across various industries like consumer products, automotive, retail, pharmaceuticals, consumer services, electricity, transportation, healthcare, education, financial services, technology, entertainment and media.
La reunión presentó una nueva plataforma digital para las familias, explicando sus objetivos y funciones. Los padres recibieron sus claves de acceso para explorar por sí mismos la plataforma y ver la información disponible sobre sus hijos.
Este documento lista palabras que contienen vocales largas. Las palabras incluyen nombres como "eagle" y "bee", así como verbos como "do" y "put" y otros objetos como "box", "glue", y "uniform".
El informe presenta los resultados de Italo Reyes González en un concurso de méritos docentes. Reyes González obtuvo puntajes altos en las pruebas de aptitudes numéricas, verbales y competencias básicas que van desde 89.66 hasta 90.36. En la prueba psicotécnica obtuvo un puntaje de 72.81.
Sistema de almacenamiento de informaciónjhon cardozo
Este documento compara diferentes tipos de sistemas de almacenamiento de información como la memoria ROM y RAM, y describe los registros de desplazamiento y sus características. También discute 3 diferencias entre las memorias digitales y de núcleo magnético, incluyendo que las memorias digitales tienen menor capacidad y son más portátiles, mientras que las de núcleo magnético se usan más en computadoras debido a su gran capacidad de almacenamiento. Finalmente, destaca la importancia creciente de la portabilidad a medida que la
La persona desea que la destinataria tenga un día fantástico rodeada de amor y cariño de aquellos que la quieren, aunque algunos estén más cerca físicamente y otros más lejos, pero todos estarán cerca en el corazón. Le desea que sople las velas de cumpleaños y pida un deseo, asegurando que se hará realidad.
La Red Global de Aprendizajes es una iniciativa internacional que integrará nuevas pedagogías de aprendizaje en 1,000 instituciones educativas. Los objetivos son desarrollar una capacidad colectiva de construcción de conocimiento a través de un marco común de acciones e investigación.
El documento propone nuevos modelos de aprendizaje para las generaciones nativas digitales que tienen formas diferentes de aprender influenciadas por la tecnología. Sugieren incorporar modelos audiovisuales y juegos interactivos con contenido educativo sobre temas como geografía, historia y matemáticas para fortalecer la identidad nacional. También discute los posibles efectos negativos de los videos juegos y la importancia de valores como la protección de los más vulnerables.
The document outlines an English grammar course consisting of 8 units covering various grammatical topics to be taught between March and June 2013. Each unit is devoted to a different grammatical concept, such as sentences with one clause, subject-verb inversion, subject-verb agreement, and problems with pronouns, adjectives and adverbs. For each unit, the document lists the key grammatical points to be covered and the scheduled dates when the unit will be taught.
This document defines and provides examples of different types of chemical reactions including synthesis, decomposition, single displacement, double displacement, neutralization, and combustion reactions. It explains the key characteristics of each type of reaction and how to predict the products based on the reactants. Examples are given for each type of reaction to illustrate the concepts.
This document lists various places found in a town, including transportation locations like the airport and bus stop, stores such as the bakery, butcher, and pet shop, entertainment venues like the cinema, football stadium, and theatre, services like the bank, hospital, library, and police station, and other common areas including the beach, park, shopping center, school, and home.
Este documento contiene una serie de listas de palabras y oraciones cortas sobre diferentes temas como objetos del hogar, comida, animales domésticos y más. También incluye una breve noticia sobre el divorcio de una pareja de robots en el año 2038 y el descubrimiento de un fósil humano de 1900.
Mitchell Kowalski believes the legal industry is undergoing major changes called "The Great Legal Reformation". Alternative service providers and the rise of legal AI are putting pressure on traditional law firm models. To survive, law firms must create new strategies for legal service delivery. Kowalski argues firms should shift to a holistic, team-based approach that leverages people from various backgrounds alongside technology and process improvements. This will allow firms to differentiate themselves and provide a unique client experience that makes clients' worlds "gloomy" without the firm, securing their loyalty and competitive advantage in the future legal market.
In studying the changes rolling across the global legal services market, it has become clear to me that we are at the beginning of what I call, The Great Legal Reformation.
The document discusses trends in the legal industry towards increased efficiency and use of technology. It highlights how new technologies like cloud computing and legal project management can help law firms cut costs while meeting client demands for more predictable fees. The document also notes challenges around aligning different stakeholders within law firms and between law firms and corporate legal departments when adopting new technologies.
The document discusses the integration of legal technology and legal services. It notes that disruptive technologies are driving lawyers to rethink their working practices and processes. It also covers trends in the legal industry toward increased efficiency, the use of new technology like cloud computing, and the need for a structured approach to engaging cloud providers.
The document discusses the integration of legal technology and legal services. It notes that technological advancements are enabling new efficiencies in the legal industry through practices like legal project management, alternative fee arrangements, and cloud computing. The document also examines how law firms can take a structured approach to engaging cloud providers to meet client needs while ensuring security.
The document discusses how legal technology will change the business of law. It describes three categories of legal technology solutions: enabler technologies, support process solutions, and substantive law solutions. While adoption has been slower in law firms than other industries, legal technology is moving from automating standard tasks to supporting more complex, specialized legal work. Both large and small law firms will need to adapt their business models to the changing landscape. Large firms should invest in technology and leverage outsourcing to meet rising client demands, while small firms may need to specialize and offer fixed pricing models to remain competitive.
The document discusses the potential for increased profitability in transactional law practices by rethinking traditional business models. It notes that law firms are continually pressed to do more with less. While some firms have turned to consultants or alternative fee structures, these measures are not enough. The document argues that transactional law practices represent an underexploited area that could be more profitable with the right approach. It highlights examples from other jurisdictions where allowing non-lawyer ownership and investment in legal services providers has increased competition and placed pressure on traditional law firms to deliver services more efficiently. The document suggests that U.S. law firms should restructure their organizations, develop efficient workflows, prioritize collaboration, and underpin innovations with new technologies tailored
The document discusses the integration of legal technology and legal services. It notes that advances in technology are creating new efficiencies but also a gap between legal and technology professionals. Both lawyers and technology teams want different things from systems - lawyers prioritize costs and strategies while IT focuses on storage, security and maintenance. There is a need for better alignment between these perspectives to implement new technology solutions effectively.
The document summarizes the key findings of a survey conducted by LexisNexis Pacific in 2014/2015 regarding workflow and productivity challenges facing law firms. The survey found that the top initiatives used by law firms to improve efficiency were technology, knowledge management, and staff training. It also identified that the main goal for law firms and in-house legal teams is to make each individual lawyer more productive and efficient. The document explores how optimizing technology resources, talent management, and modifying staff roles can help achieve greater efficiency.
This document discusses the challenges facing the legal profession in India and opportunities for growth. It notes that law firms need to manage costs while demand for legal services remains strong. Firms are hiring more paralegals to reduce costs while lateral hiring is risky. Outsourcing and alternative business structures are expanding the types of legal services offered. While technology improves efficiency, firms must have a strategy for upgrading systems. Overall, the legal market is changing rapidly but the profession will continue to innovate and lead globally in legal services.
Thomson Reuters Legal Department In-Source & Efficiency ReportPaul Authachinda
The survey report summarizes the findings of a survey of 303 legal department attorneys on their best practices for improving efficiency. It finds that legal departments are increasingly looking to improve efficiency through growing internal headcount and resources rather than just focusing on reducing outside counsel costs. Many departments are expanding their in-house teams with new attorney and staff hires to handle more legal work internally in areas like contracts, IP, M&A and litigation. They are also using new onboarding, technology and knowledge management tools to further boost internal capabilities and productivity. While outside counsel remain important for complex matters, legal departments are striving to take on more work themselves through increased investment in internal resources.
The document discusses key components of law firm transformation - processes, technology, and people. It summarizes a panel discussion on these topics. Regarding processes, it discusses how outsourcing low-value repetitive work like non-disclosure agreements can reduce costs while focusing lawyers on higher-value work. For technology, it describes how a law firm uses systems to improve processes, costing, and quality control. Finally, it notes that while technology can improve efficiency, organizational culture and reward structures that prioritize billable hours can inhibit change unless focused on client benefits.
The document discusses key components of law firm transformation - processes, technology, and people. It summarizes a panel discussion on these topics. Regarding processes, it discusses how outsourcing low-value repetitive work like non-disclosure agreements can reduce costs while focusing lawyers on higher value work. For technology, it describes how a law firm uses systems to improve processes, costing, and quality control. Finally, it notes that while technology can improve efficiency, organizational culture and reward structures that prioritize billable hours can inhibit change. Success requires putting the best people on transformation and focusing on benefits to clients.
Business Process Re Engineering In Law Firms 2010Alastair Ross
This document provides an introduction to business process re-engineering for law firms. It discusses the increasing pressures on law firms from factors such as the economic downturn, client demands for value and cost reduction, and potential new competitors enabled by deregulation. The document contends that process thinking can help law firms significantly improve their competitiveness by identifying inefficiencies and adding value. It provides an overview of what business processes are and how they typically operate across functions within firms. The document argues that process re-engineering represents an opportunity for law firms to transform their operations and emerge stronger from the downturn.
The 10 most trusted business and commercial law solution providersMerry D'souza
In this issue of “The 10 Most Trusted Business and Commercial Law Solution Providers, Our magazine’s journey starts with Cover story, Clasis Law, a highly professional and process driven firm that has the necessary systems in place to provide hassle free services to the clients.
The document discusses changes in the UK legal services market brought about by the Legal Services Act 2007. This includes the emergence of new legal firms like Riverview Law that offer different pricing structures and services. It also references Richard Susskind's book "The End of Lawyers?" which predicted innovation in the industry. The newsletter highlights a debate between procurement and legal professionals around who is best suited to source external legal services. While procurement aims to reduce costs, legal teams prioritize other factors. Overall, both groups need to work together to optimize spending on legal services.
Big Data Debate in Corporate Law - Inside Counsel - August 2015Rayford Davis
General counsels have traditionally been afraid of embracing big data due to concerns over risks and costs. However, data-driven decision making can help legal departments better understand risks, assess budgets realistically, and demonstrate their value to the business. While metrics are important, measuring legal work also poses challenges given its discretionary nature. Overall, when used properly, big data can help legal departments make informed choices that save companies millions through more efficient risk mitigation and management.
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Future Law Office 2020
1. Redefining the Practice of Law
futurelawoffice.com
Future
Law
Office
2020
Future
Law
Office
2020
2. Table of Contents
Introduction.......................................................................................................................................1
Marketplace Catalysts........................................................................................................................2
Differentiating High-Value and Commoditized Legal Services..............................................................4
Accessing Specialized Legal Expertise to Manage Costs, Improve Efficiencies.......................................5
Producing Workplace-Ready Lawyers.................................................................................................6
The Law Office Restructured..............................................................................................................7
Tech Challenges Driving Strategic Partnership Between Legal and IT...................................................8
Cybersecurity Concerns Remain a Top Priority............................................................................9
Addressing Growing eDiscovery Complexities............................................................................9
Envisioning the Law Office of the Future............................................................................................11
About Robert Half Legal..................................................................................................................12
Experts Interviewed..........................................................................................................................13
All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
FUTURE LAW OFFICE 2020 | ROBERT HALF LEGAL
3. 1FUTURE LAW OFFICE 2020 | ROBERT HALF LEGAL
Introduction
Future Law Office 2020: Redefining the Practice of Law examines
the trends that are reshaping practice management strategies
and are expected to drive change within the legal profession
by the year 2020.
The latest in the Future Law Office research series, an annual
program established by Robert Half Legal in 2000, the report
features insights from experts in law firm and corporate legal
department management. It also contains key findings from our
company’s ongoing surveys of lawyers in the United States and
Canada, as well as research from other industry resources.
To learn more about the Future Law Office, contact the
Robert Half Legal office nearest you by calling
1.800.870.8367, or visit futurelawoffice.com.
4. 2FUTURE LAW OFFICE 2020 | ROBERT HALF LEGAL
Marketplace Catalysts
The legal field has been transformed in recent years by client
demands, technological innovations and the movement toward
globalization and specialization. The profession should continue
to see significant changes in the next five years. To remain competitive
in a constantly evolving marketplace, legal organizations need
to monitor emerging trends carefully and reset their law practice
management strategies accordingly.
The economic downturn heightened the need for belt-tightening,
pushing legal organizations to get smarter about technology and
introduce more efficient business practices, observes attorney
and LawSites blog author Robert J. Ambrogi.
Lawyers were asked,
“Which one of the following issues will have
the biggest impact on the practice of law
during the next five years?” Their responses:*
*Top responses shown.
Source: Survey of 350 lawyers among the largest law firms and companies in the
United States and Canada, commissioned by Robert Half Legal and conducted by
an independent research firm.
Corporate governance
regulations
Privacy, data
security concerns
Increased
globalization
Emerging
technologies
19%
18%
12%
34%
5. 3FUTURE LAW OFFICE 2020 | ROBERT HALF LEGAL
Marketplace Catalysts
The market for legal services is no longer monolithic,
where lawyers provide counsel on a customized, one-to-
one basis. Today, there’s a clear demand for legal experts
who possess financial and business acumen, understand
systems, processes and electronic delivery of service, and
can deliver legal services in a one-to-many model.
Bill Mooz, scholar in residence, University of Colorado Law School
of general counsel surveyed said they are
deploying alternative fee arrangements.72%
of chief legal officers in law departments with
25 or more employees who were surveyed said
they are using flat fees for entire matters, while
36 percent of those in law departments with
fewer than 25 employees are doing so.
53%
To address both customer service and operational efficiencies, Nelligan
O’Brien Payne LLP has introduced a secure, online portal that allows
clients to view progress on their case. Steven Pink, the Canadian firm’s
managing director, explains: “Clients have immediate access to case
information — what’s planned, number of hours billed and more —
which is particularly convenient for our overseas clients. The portal
enhances service and transparency levels and significantly reduces the
need for clients to call for status updates — and be billed for that time.”
“The firms that are making real and fundamental changes in the ways
they operate are taking advantage of innovative technologies and tracking
performance analytics,” explains Ambrogi. “These firms are moving more
of their client-facing and back-office functions to the cloud, which enables
remote work options and optimizes operational workflows.”
Law firms also are becoming more flexible in their use of alternative
fee models, an area of increasing interest to Cesar L. Alvarez, co-
chairman at Greenberg Traurig LLP. “Alternative fee arrangements
continue to grow as clients focus on controlling their legal costs,” says
Alvarez. “Across practice areas, our clients are looking for fixed fee
and similar alternative fee structures for the certainty they provide,
pushing us to become smarter, more disciplined and more efficient in
managing projects to ensure the work is profitable.”
Flexibility in staffing models also is a growing consideration for cost-
conscious legal offices. “Law firms and legal departments are hiring
more contingent legal professionals as a strategy to ‘rightsize’ their
organizations, balance workloads and improve efficiencies,” says
attorney Charles A. Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal.
“They also are relying on flexible staffing options to gain immediate
access to specialized expertise on a project or temporary basis.”
Source: Association of Corporate Counsel Chief Legal Officers (CLO) 2015 Survey.
6. 4FUTURE LAW OFFICE 2020 | ROBERT HALF LEGAL
Differentiating High-Value and Commoditized Legal Services
Marilyn Archer, a principal and professional services firms practice
leader at Gensler, a global design firm, spearheaded a three-year
research initiative to identify the underlying forces driving change in
law firm design. The research indicated that “while clients are willing
to pay a premium for a senior partner to take charge of a legal issue
of major value to them, they’re balking at paying $200 an hour for a
relatively inexperienced associate for that high-value work, or paying
law firm prices for routine legal work — what they consider commodity
legal services,” Archer reports.
Gensler’s research also notes that many legal organizations are
assigning standardized legal work to contract attorneys or paralegals
1
Richard Susskind, “From bespoke to commodity,” Legal Technology Journal, 2006.
Eric Goldman, professor of law, co-director of the High Tech
Law Institute, Santa Clara University School of Law
Lawyers trying to compete for commodity work in the
future will need superior marketing tactics. They won’t
learn to master online marketing skills in law school,
but it’s probably the single most valuable capability
that many of them will need to be successful.
to provide some legal services at less cost. This approach is
fundamentally changing the way legal organizations operate, resulting
in the emergence of staff attorneys, high-value paralegals and
third-party companies that specialize in particular niche areas, such
as preparation of standard briefs, contracts, wills and estates, and
incorporation papers. These operational shifts are, in turn, changing
the way law firms use space.
“Giving excellent service and value to clients is critical in today’s
competitive legal field,” says Cesar Alvarez, co-chairman of Greenberg
Traurig. “Our top priority is client service, which means finding the
best lawyers, and training and developing them in particular areas so
clients get the best legal counsel that can be obtained. We recognize
that we can’t be all things to all people, so focusing on areas of excellence
where we can attract customers and continuously improve the quality and
value of the legal services we offer is essential to remaining in the game.”
Legal futurist and author Richard Susskind introduced a five-step
model to explain the evolution of particular legal services into
commodity offerings nearly a decade ago, outlining the transition
from bespoke offerings to standardized, systematized, packaged or
branded, and, finally, commoditized services.1
Although the concept
of commoditized legal offerings isn’t new, it is evolving.
7. 5FUTURE LAW OFFICE 2020 | ROBERT HALF LEGAL
2
Robert Half Legal, “Survey: One in Four Lawyers Anticipates Making New Hires in First Half
of 2015; Litigation to Generate Greatest Number of Legal Jobs,” January 8, 2015.
3
Patt Morrison, “Robotics-law expert Ryan Calo weighs in on drone regulations — and ‘drunk
droning,’” Los Angeles Times, February 3, 2015.
Accessing Specialized Legal Expertise to Manage Costs, Improve Efficiencies
Many firms are introducing specialized positions that require specific
skill sets among legal administrators to address customer service,
technology and staffing initiatives, observes Paula K. Barnes, immediate
past president of the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA)
and legal administrator for Burr & Forman LLP. “For example,
chief talent officers are responsible for acquiring, developing and
retaining the highest caliber legal talent, while innovative and tech-
savvy legal experts are being tapped to serve as chief learning
officers, responsible for capturing the firm’s institutional knowledge
Growing complexities in financial and industry-related regulations are
contributing in large part to the need for high-value legal expertise
in particular areas, observes Tim Collins, general counsel and chief
ethics and compliance officer at Convergent Outsourcing, Inc., a large
business process outsourcing company.
“During an acquisition last year, we needed highly knowledgeable,
experienced tax and mergers and acquisitions experts to help us make
informed decisions and execute the very complex work efficiently —
and we obviously couldn’t afford to hire that kind of talent internally,”
Collins explains. “Bringing in specialized legal counsel on a project
basis enabled us to complete the merger in a reasonable time frame,
knowing that all the legal requirements, notifications and licensing
issues were managed correctly.”
Tim Collins, general counsel and chief ethics and compliance officer,
Convergent Outsourcing, Inc.
Mediation is a growing area of legal specialization,
offering a valuable approach to reduce the time and
costs of litigation.
and creating an online resource available to employees and clients.
Increasingly, legal administrators are serving in more specialized,
strategic roles, helping to design where the organization will be in five
or 10 years and directing projects to achieve that vision,” says Barnes.
“Demand for specialized knowledge will continue to rise in the years
ahead as clients seek legal counsel from partners, legal support
professionals and service providers who are true experts in a particular
practice area,” explains Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert
Half Legal.
As a result, employment opportunities are expected to expand for
legal professionals with expertise in insurance defense, commercial
litigation, healthcare and intellectual property,2
while heightened
concerns regarding privacy and security matters are generating
demand for legal risk managers, security auditors and analysts.
Advanced technologies also are giving rise to emerging legal areas,
such as robotics law, to manage the privacy and safety issues inherent
in drones and other unmanned vehicles.3
Source: Survey of 350 lawyers among the largest law firms and companies in the
United States and Canada, commissioned by Robert Half Legal and conducted by
an independent research firm.
of lawyers surveyed said it was somewhat or very
challenging to find skilled legal professionals today.65%
8. 6FUTURE LAW OFFICE 2020 | ROBERT HALF LEGAL
Producing Workplace-Ready Lawyers
encompasses creative problem-solving, self-awareness, collaboration
and other interpersonal skills. Our objective is to start the critical
continuum of development and learning with students that will continue
throughout their legal careers.”
Against a backdrop of accelerating declines in law school enrollment,4
a drop in the employment rate for law students upon graduation
for the sixth year running,5
and the resulting competition for lawyer
positions among recent graduates, many law schools are introducing
courses to further enable students to gain skills, knowledge and
experience that can readily translate to their future business roles.
Scholar in residence Bill Mooz, who developed the Tech Lawyer
Accelerator program at the University of Colorado Law School, believes
that law school students need to learn practical skills “to convert their
doctrinal legal knowledge into a product that someone is willing to buy,
and deliver immediate value to an employer upon graduation.”
Joan W. Howarth, dean and professor of law at Michigan State
University College of Law, observes that lawyers today need a keen
aptitude for understanding a client’s business challenges in order to
provide counsel that is in sync with business goals. “Students should
have a great sense of business strategies, methods and processes, a
deep understanding of technologies and the creative use of resources,”
she says, adding that her law school offers a diverse curriculum,
including classes in eDiscovery, quantitative analysis, legal information
engineering and technology, and design thinking for legal services.
Santa Clara University School of Law has identified a broad set
of capabilities and legal knowledge that students require upon
graduation, explains associate dean for experiential learning and
clinical professor Sandee W. Magliozzi. “Our competency model,
similar to those used by law firms, guides our curriculum offerings,”
she notes. “It includes the traditional, core legal skills but also
4
Elizabeth Olson and David Segal, “A Steep Slide in Law School Enrollment Accelerates,”
The New York Times, December 17, 2014.
5
National Association for Law Placement, Inc. (NALP), “For Second Year in a Row New
Grads Find More Jobs, Starting Salaries Rise — But Overall Unemployment Rate Rises
with Historically Large Graduating Class,” June 19, 2014.
Lawyers were asked,
“What, if anything, do you wish you had
learned in law school that would have better
prepared you to practice law?” Their responses:*
*Top responses shown.
Source: Survey of 350 lawyers among the largest law firms and companies in the
United States and Canada, commissioned by Robert Half Legal and conducted by
an independent research firm.
Business
knowledge/skills32%
Personal/soft skills23%
More legal
knowledge/skills33%
9. 7FUTURE LAW OFFICE 2020 | ROBERT HALF LEGAL
The Law Office Restructured
6
Gensler, “Redesign Law: Gensler’s Legal Office of the Future,” 2015.
Technology has profoundly changed how legal work is performed —
from electronic storage of documents and pleadings to operational
and filing processes — and is influencing where it is conducted.
“Thanks to the cloud and a range of mobile devices, lawyers are no
longer tethered to their desks,” says attorney and LawSites author
Robert Ambrogi. “Many firms are reducing their square footage — rather
than having an office for every lawyer, they now allocate temporary
office space, so some lawyers can work virtually part of the time
and on-site at other times.”
Marilyn Archer, principal, Gensler
The best and most effective law firm workplace design
takes shape around its strategic business plan, long-
term forecast, culture and brand.
Agility, collaboration, technology and client focus are key factors
influencing the legal workplace, according to recent Gensler, research.6
“Not only are law firms typically requiring less office space today, but
the design of the workspace is changing,” explains Marilyn Archer, firm
principal. “Gen X professionals increasingly work remotely, but when
they go to the office, they want sit-to-stand desks, lounge workplaces
that foster collaboration and immediate access to tech resources. So
as we discuss office design options with our law firm clients, workplace
efficiencies and functional flexibility are cited as priority requirements.”
Designing office configurations to foster communication and to
support new technology platforms is a key consideration, and many
law firms are abandoning traditional designs, Archer adds. “It’s a
game-changer when our [law firm] clients understand they have greater
office space flexibility if they aren’t tethered to the geometry of a
building — no longer needing large, windowed offices for senior-level
associates, for example,” she says. Gensler incorporates the concept of
modular building and furnishing components into designs that can be
quickly and cost-effectively modified and reconfigured as work styles,
operational requirements or space needs change.
10. 8FUTURE LAW OFFICE 2020 | ROBERT HALF LEGAL
Tech Challenges Driving Strategic Partnership Between Legal and IT
Alignment between legal and IT professionals is both common
and essential in today’s business workplace as the complexities of
electronic data and cloud computing continue to grow and concerns
about data privacy, security and compliance matters escalate.
Collaboration between legal and IT departments starts with strong and
effective communications, notes John Reed, senior executive director
of Robert Half Technology, an IT staffing agency. “Increasingly,
tech-related matters require a unified response between the two
departments. To work more effectively, each group needs a deep
understanding and insight into the other’s areas of expertise. A simple
example is when legal professionals consider adopting new software
applications. To gain real value, legal should ask their IT colleagues to
evaluate these potential resources in order to determine if they have the
integrity, security and return on investment that is expected,” Reed says.
*Multiple responses permitted. Top responses shown.
Source: Survey of 175 lawyers among the largest companies in the United States and
Canada, commissioned by Robert Half Legal and conducted by an independent research firm.
Lawyers were asked,
“Which of the following projects are driving your
department’s collaboration with IT?” Their responses:*
Source: Survey of 175 lawyers among the largest companies in the United
States and Canada, commissioned by Robert Half Legal and conducted by an
independent research firm.
lawyers surveyed said their collaboration
with IT specialists has increased during
the past two years.
8in10
Data privacy
and security41%
Regulatory
compliance33%
Social media
and remote work
arrangements
16%
Litigation or
eDiscovery44%
In coming years, legal and IT teams will become even more tightly linked,
anticipates Frank Wu, global managing director of Robert Half Legal’s
consulting solutions practice. “Collaboration between the two teams
is critical due to the inherent risks and impact involved in data systems
as well as privacy, compliance and security considerations,” Wu notes.
“Organizations with a traditional approach to managing legal and
IT functions will likely be at a serious disadvantage in today’s global
business and regulatory environment.”
11. 9FUTURE LAW OFFICE 2020 | ROBERT HALF LEGAL
CYBERSECURITY CONCERNS REMAIN A TOP PRIORITY
During recent months, the U.S. government has been actively
promoting legislation7
to protect consumers’ privacy and introducing
measures to enhance public and commercial responses to cybersecurity
threats.8
And these topics are demanding increased attention within
legal departments, according to James A. Merklinger, vice president
and chief legal officer for the Association of Corporate Counsel.
“Legal counsel are spending significantly more time and energy on
cybersecurity,” he says. “As data breaches become more sophisticated
and occur more frequently, chief legal officers are more intimately
involved in identifying risks and implementing prevention strategies.”
Merklinger sees a strategic shift toward assigning cross-departmental
teams the responsibility for managing risks associated with privacy
and security issues. “Legal and IT professionals each bring particular
knowledge and expertise to the table, the sum of which is required to
effectively develop, implement and manage today’s privacy and security
issues and the challenges we expect to face in the future,” he explains.
Heightened sensitivity to security matters is an inevitable outcome of
major breaches that have recently taken place, notes Eric B. Evans,
a partner at Mayer Brown LLP and West Coast co-chair of the firm’s
eDiscovery and information governance practice. “As a law firm, we
recognize the urgency to be proactive and aggressive in protecting
our infrastructure and the confidential information that resides on our
network,” he explains. “Security management is part of our overall
plan, and many of our clients are imposing regular end-to-end security
audits on our systems.”
ADDRESSING GROWING eDISCOVERY COMPLEXITIES
As the world becomes more connected due to technology, managing
electronic discovery is becoming more complex. “There’s no question,
as long as the consumption and volume of electronic data continue to
grow, legal professionals and their IT colleagues will be facing ever-
increasing demands when compelled to protect, preserve and produce
potentially relevant and responsive information,” says Frank Wu, who
manages Robert Half Legal’s consulting solutions practice. What
Wu refers to as the “digital landfill” — unorganized or useless data
which may need to be retained to comply with legal holds — places
additional pressure on financial resources and will be an increasing
concern, he adds.
A growing number of companies, with specialized knowledge and
experience in various components of electronic discovery, are helping
legal organizations manage the eDiscovery process, observes Mayer
Brown partner Eric Evans. “As a law firm, we understand our core
competencies and the substantial advantage we have in providing
legal counsel, but we also recognize the challenge of competing
with vendors that specialize in the eDiscovery field. So establishing
managed vendor relationships with such companies is a viable
7
The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, “Fact Sheet: Safeguarding American
Consumers and Families,” January 12, 2015.
8
Michal Lev-Ram, “President Obama unveils cybersecurity push in tech industry’s backyard,”
Fortune, February 13, 2015.
Tech Challenges Driving Strategic Partnership Between Legal and IT
Source: Association of Corporate Counsel Chief Legal Officers (CLO) 2015 Survey.
of chief legal officers and general counsel
surveyed cited data breaches as one of
their top concerns for 2015, with more than
one-quarter reporting a data breach within
their organization during the past two years.
More
than
80%
12. 10FUTURE LAW OFFICE 2020 | ROBERT HALF LEGAL
and cost-effective option, and a reflection of an inherent rule of a
free market, where work flows to those with the most expertise and
competitive advantage,” Evans says.
While Tim Collins, general counsel and chief ethics and compliance
officer at Convergent Outsourcing, acknowledges the inherent
complexities and costs involved in eDiscovery engagements, he also
foresees tech advancements in the coming years that will enable
keyword searches and analysis in real time. “We’ll be better able
to understand potential exposure at the front end of discovery,” he
says. “Even today, there is eDiscovery software available that can
immediately make a record of and store everything relevant to a case
as soon as you receive a litigation hold.”
Tech Challenges Driving Strategic Partnership Between Legal and IT
*Top responses shown.
Source: Survey of 350 lawyers among the largest law firms and companies in the United
States and Canada, commissioned by Robert Half Legal and conducted by an independent
research firm.
Lawyers were asked,
“Which of the following is your top challenge in
managing requests for eDiscovery?” Their responses:*
Source: Survey of 350 lawyers among the largest law firms and companies in the
United States and Canada, commissioned by Robert Half Legal and conducted by
an independent research firm.
Inadequate technology
systems and tools19%
Lack of available
personnel11%
Budgetary
constraints11%
Volume
of data25%
of lawyers surveyed anticipate spending 5 percent
or more of their budgets on eDiscovery-related
projects in the coming year. On average, lawyers
expect to allocate 4 percent of their budgets
to eDiscovery.
of lawyers surveyed said the number of
eDiscovery projects managed by their law firm
or corporate legal department has increased
compared to two years ago.
39%
31%
13. 11FUTURE LAW OFFICE 2020 | ROBERT HALF LEGAL
Envisioning the Law Office of the Future
Leading legal experts share their comments about the law office of the future and strategies for success in the next five years:
processes to enhance the availability and affordability of legal services.
As a profession, we need to rethink how we define law practice,
and who is qualified to deliver legal services, and also give serious
consideration to allowing non-lawyers to own or have equity interest
in legal services entities.”
• MAKING THEIR MARK: GEN X, Y AND Z
“As important as attracting and retaining the best legal talent is
today, it will become even more essential in the coming years,”
says Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal. “Gen
X and Gen Y are used to working remotely, and using technology
to maximum advantage. And because of their commitment to
achieving a greater work-life balance, flexible work options will
likely become the norm, rather than the exception. These professionals,
and Gen Z to follow, will continue to shape the law profession of
tomorrow, applying creativity to how work is accomplished and how
legal services are delivered.”
• ADDRESSING CLIENT FEEDBACK
“While we expect the law office of 2020 will operate much differently
than today, client service will be our chief priority and a primary
focus of every law firm,” says Paula Barnes, immediate past president
of ALA and legal administrator for Burr & Forman. “At the heart of
client relationships is receiving feedback from them and responding
to their concerns — asking clients where they plan to take their
business, what we as their legal counsel are doing well and what
opportunities there may be for improvement. Open and honest
dialogue is critical as we plan for the future — because if we stop
listening to clients, we might as well shut the doors.”
• DIFFERENTIATING VALUE AND SERVICE
“Clients want quality, value and certainty — and even five years
from now, these will remain key criteria that drive clients’ decisions
regarding legal services,” says Greenberg Traurig co-chairman,
Cesar Alvarez. “As we plan for the future, we need to continuously
monitor and reassess the marketplace and be open to change.
But we also need to remain focused on delivering an enhanced service
and value proposition to clients.”
• MONITORING A DYNAMIC WORKPLACE, RESPONDING
WITH AGILITY
“Recognizing that the pace of change in the legal profession
continues to accelerate, you need to continuously re-evaluate
workplace issues and decision-making in light of shifting business
realities,” says Tim Collins, general counsel and chief ethics and
compliance officer at Convergent Outsourcing. “It’s a matter of
staying as nimble as you can be so you can adapt to the dynamic
marketplace quickly and effectively for long-term success.”
• REDUCING JURISDICTIONAL CONSTRAINTS
Joan Howarth, dean of the Michigan State University College of Law,
foresees that jurisdictional boundaries will become less significant
in the future in response to expanding global business opportunities.
“Recognizing that the world is getting smaller, I expect five years
from now lawyers will be permitted to practice in a much broader
arena, with fewer geographical restrictions than exist today,” she says.
• NARROWING THE JUSTICE GAP
“I like to believe that within the next five years, our profession will
enable greater access of affordable legal services to low- and middle-
income consumers,” notes LawSites blog author Robert Ambrogi.
“We need to make fundamental changes in the way we operate,
placing greater emphasis on using technology and business
14. 12FUTURE LAW OFFICE 2020 | ROBERT HALF LEGAL
About Robert Half Legal
Robert Half Legal is the premier provider of highly skilled legal
professionals for law firms and corporate legal departments on a
temporary, project and full-time basis. With North American and
global locations, the company offers a full suite of legal staffing
and consulting solutions to help organizations manage constantly
changing workloads and access expertise across in-demand legal
practice areas. Robert Half Legal is proud to be the exclusive staffing
partner of the Association of Corporate Counsel Alliance program and
a supporter of the Association of Legal Administrators. In addition, Robert
Half Legal promotes diversity in the legal community and is proud to offer
a scholarship through the Minority Corporate Counsel Association.
For more information about our many resources, please contact your
local Robert Half Legal office by calling 1.800.870.8367, or visit our
website at roberthalflegal.com.
15. 13FUTURE LAW OFFICE 2020 | ROBERT HALF LEGAL
Experts Interviewed
CESAR L. ALVAREZ
Co-chairman, Greenberg Traurig LLP
ROBERT J. AMBROGI, ESQ.
Author, LawSites blog
MARILYN ARCHER
Principal, Gensler
PAULA K. BARNES
Immediate past president, Association of Legal Administrators,
legal administrator, Burr & Forman LLP
TIM COLLINS
General counsel and chief ethics and compliance officer,
Convergent Outsourcing, Inc.
ERIC B. EVANS
Partner, Mayer Brown LLP
ERIC GOLDMAN
Professor of law, co-director, High Tech Law Institute,
Santa Clara University School of Law
JOAN W. HOWARTH
Dean and professor of law, Michigan State University College of Law
SANDEE W. MAGLIOZZI
Associate dean for experiential learning, clinical professor of law,
Santa Clara University School of Law
JAMES A. MERKLINGER
Vice president and chief legal officer, Association of Corporate Counsel
BILL MOOZ
Scholar in residence, University of Colorado Law School
STEVEN PINK, LL.B., MBA
Managing director, Nelligan O’Brien Payne LLP
JOHN REED
Senior executive director, Robert Half Technology
CHARLES A. VOLKERT, ESQ.
Executive director, Robert Half Legal
FRANK WU
Global managing director, consulting solutions, Robert Half Legal