Lawyers who entered the profession when the standard means of production were a dictaphone and a dedicated secretary will, without any sense of irony, EMAIL me to tell me that technology has no impact on the way they practice law. One of the most underappreciated characteristics of technology is how quickly it can be assimilated
Law Firm Librarians: An Under-Utilized Resource
There has been a lot of discussion in the blogosphere and twitter this week about the Bloomberg Law article “Law Firm Librarians Feel Underused and Underpaid” and the accompanying survey. First off, I want to thank Bloomberg BNA for conducting this survey, sharing the results with the law librarian community and David Perla,
A Better Way To Train: Synchronous, Active Learning
Technology training is important. Competence-based assessments are a great technology training tool. At the outset, assessments permit trainees to test out of training they do not need. By identifying competencies and deficiencies, assessments serve as the basis for tailored training plans. Assessments then validate that training has been effective.
As formulated above, training
Legal Technology Training: Time is a Poor Proxy for Learning
I, like most legal professionals, cringe at memories of sitting in a large room and having someone demonstrate the use of a technology tool. Despite my confirmed case of technophilia, I hated re-learning the basics and had a hard time absorbing anything new. Sitting through videos was even worse. The medium trumped the message.
These
CLE Sucks (When Training Is Terrible)
Technology training is important. For a long time, I simply thought it was my job to push lawyers into technology training. And, for just as long, I thought anyone who resisted the idea of technology training for lawyers was being myopic. Again, the comic I repeatedly use to make this point:
I had my
Law Librarians + Legal Marketing = Successful Client Service
Last week the Twitterverse and other content spaces were abuzz (or atweet?), with commentary on the story from Bloomberg Law on how Law Firm Librarians Feel Underused and Underpaid. Many in the sector agreed or felt that it was a wake up call of some kind. The article was based on a survey compiled
The Importance of Technology Training in Legal Organizations
Among the nontraditional stakeholders who bring so much to the delivery of legal services, technology trainers hold a special place in my little lawyer heart.
the fundamental task of management remains the same: to make people capable of joint performance through common goals, common values, the right structure, and the training and development they need
Embracing the Beta
Good enough.
Two words that are anathema to law firms. After all, we produce perfect legal product. (cough, cough) We strive to eliminate risk for our clients, and especially for our firm, and as such, ‘good enough’ Is. Never. Good. Enough.
I can’t and would never comment on whether a contract or agreement should
Nontraditional Stakeholders in the Law Department/Firm Relationship
I’ve been discussing structured dialogue between law departments and law firms focused on continuous improvement in the use of process and technology to deliver legal services. A point I have yet to make, however, is the importance of nontraditional stakeholders to the success of such initiatives.
By nontraditional stakeholders, I mean anyone other than the
Structured Dialogue re Delivery of Legal Services
I keep using the term “structured dialogue” to describe an important piece of my Service Delivery Review. I want to dig into what I mean.
I believe law departments, law firms, and individual legal professionals have an ethical obligation to do things Better, Faster, Cheaper wherever possible regardless of the economic incentives. But the