At ILTA, my “aha” session was “How KM Supports AFAs.” During this session, Peter Krakaur, CKO for Orrick, showed some screen shots from the KIIAC application. I have previously commented on this application and how it rests in the ‘analysis’ layer of KM.
Before I get to the “aha” moment, here’s some background on the ILTA Conference.
At the ILTA Conference THE topics were AFAs and Legal Project Management. A theme tied up in all of the presentations on these topics was: Efficiency. As in, how can lawyers drive down the cost of their service through more efficient service methods? A great number of ideas and systems were shown that offered incremental efficiencies in the legal service delivery model. And of course these increments can add up to measurable gains.
However, the efficiency gains demonstrated by Peter were a qualitative leap. Peter showed a model agreement which was generated in just 2 days and 45 minutes – something that takes weeks or months for humans to accomplish. There was a noticeable gasp in the room as people reacted to what he had just said. Mary Abraham interrupted the presentation and asked for a moment of silence for all the PSLs who had just been put out of work. What followed was a lively discussion on the value of this approach and its impact on the profession. At the end of the dialog everyone in the room turned to Kingsley Martin, the founder and CEO of KIIAC, and gave him a round of applause. Not something you typically see during a presentation.
KIIAC, through its analysis of large volumes of content, is a nice example of the next generation of KM that goes beyond search and collaboration. This truly disruptive technology is (IMHO) the vanguard of what’s next.
With systems like KIIAC entering the legal profession, significant segments of the practice of law are queuing up in the obsolescence line. Where will you be in this line?