technologYtools & servicesenhancinglegalPractice
Technology law Section Chairs : JohnMullen – PhelpsDunbar , LLP & KurtSanger – DeMarcoLaw
technologyproducts andservicescan helpacceleratea practice ’ sgrowth , as wellasprotectits systemsanddata .
Information technology creates novel , complex legal issues . By the time the 2024 November / December HCBA Lawyer magazine appears , undoubtedly there will be new IT-related legal matters that no one is able to forecast today . Yet technology also has upsides for our profession , especially as it creates tools to help attorneys address these issues .
Unfortunately , awareness regarding technologies supporting legal practices is low . Some people assume only large firms can afford them . Though there are capabilities and services outside most small firm ’ s budgets , many are within any practice ’ s reach . Technology can even empower small practices to handle cases once the province of only larger firms .
To make informed decisions regarding investments , and understand technology ’ s impact on the practice of law , attorneys should be familiar with the tools and services available to the legal community . Below are a handful worth knowing .
Document Review
The only task more tedious than reviewing thousands of documents is reviewing millions of documents . This volume of information is being seen in cases routinely , and the struggle to discover and understand relevant material is compounded by the easy creation of documents and messages . There are technologies that can collect and review documents , identify and prioritize relevant ones , and do so quickly and efficiently . Service providers can testify regarding processes and technologies to satisfy disclosure and discovery obligations .
Cybersecurity & Compliance Services
Some aircraft are simple enough for hobbyist pilots to fly . Other aircraft are complex and should be flown solely by professional pilots . Cybersecurity is like the latter . While a firm ’ s employees may be able to execute its cybersecurity program , assigning responsibility to professional experts outside the organization has benefits . In addition to deriving threat information and learning as adjustments are made to multiple systems , an outsider ’ s independence supports candid assessments of a network and identification of improvements . Cybersecurity and compliance service providers ’ broader perspectives can also help redesign systems to align with regulatory and contractual requirements . Meeting these requirements and outsourcing protection of sensitive data to experts has become a feature that helps attract and retain clients , and enables firms to engage sophisticated clients with heightened compliance demands .
Redaction Support
Lawyers are entrusted with clients ’ most sensitive information . Personal data in a document often must be redacted prior to sharing with the court or other counsel . This includes information readily viewed in the main portion of an electronic document as well as metadata not initially apparent but easily found . Redaction services can efficiently target redactable material thoroughly and permanently , and ensure an attorney meets the obligation of confidentiality required by professional rules of conduct .
These are only a few of the technologies that can increase lawyers ’ productivity and improve support to clients . Chances are that for every tedious , daunting , or time-consuming task that generates attorney frustration , there is a tool to address it or one in development . For the good of one ’ s practice , and one ’ s clients , attorneys should prioritize learning about technology products and services that can improve their performance , protect their organizations , and secure their data . n
Author : Kurt Sanger – DeMarco Law , PLLC
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