Technology Transforms the Litigation Game

There's no mistaking that new technologies are transforming the practice of litigation. Today's litigators take depositions via videoconferencing, scour social networking Web sites for dirt on the opposition and communicate at all hours of the day and night with opposing counsel via BlackBerry. Technology can overlook the time-tested interpersonal styles that facilitate skills development, but it can also offer a leg up when it comes to seamless client service and flexible schedules, a trademark that is here to stay as more Gen Ys enter the workforce with an innate expectation of using these tools. The successful litigator must temper the tension between the obvious personal and professional benefits of taking full advantage of new technology and the corresponding loss of face-to-face interaction.

There is no doubt that the practice of law, as with all businesses, has changed dramatically with advancing technologies. Gone, of course, are the days of typing briefs on a typewriter and using carbon paper to copy. Even the old word processors have faded away as we all now sit with our own, much more compact personal computers or laptops. Delivering documents has gone from the mail, to messengers, to facsimile, to PDF via electronic mail. Today, most law firms dole out BlackBerrys (or similar handhelds) to their practitioners, allowing for constant e-mail and document access regardless of locale. The ability to carry your office with you does not even require taking up residence at the nearest coffee shop, because wireless Internet access is also portable.

When considering the daily tasks we complete as litigators, accomplishing them in a specific location is not required. With the ability to access all the documents in a case -- the file, the court docket, the calendar, the related e-mail, legal research and the firm's document management system -- remotely, it is possible to practice law without an office (and many people do). Even legal team meetings can happen from multiple cities through teleconferencing. And while most firms still adhere to the traditional "office" model, the technology is still having an effect on these traditional environments.

To Continue Reading: Click Here
--------------------------------------------
Source: law.com
By: Cynthia Arends and Megan Backer