Legal Tech

Expert Analysis

• Pro Bono Work Is Valuable In IP And Continued Learning

  The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's recent elimination of a rule that partially counted pro bono work toward continuing legal education highlights the importance of volunteer work in intellectual property practice and its ties to CLE, and puts a valuable tool for hands-on attorney education in the hands of the states, say Lisa Holubar and Ariel Katz at Irwin.

• 10 Principles For Effective Partner Reward Systems

  Several forces are reshaping partners’ expectations about profit-sharing, and as compensation structures evolve in response, firms should keep certain fundamentals in mind to build a successful partner reward system, say Michael Roch at MHPR Advisors and Ray D'Cruz at Performance Leader.

• How Law Firm Leaders Can Optimize Their Tech Investments

  As law firms turn to legal technology to help expedite case processing and other workflows, leaders must focus on creating a lean set of business tools and keep one eye on the future to plan their technology road map, says Simon Whitburn at Exterro.

• Law Firm Threat Awareness Is Key To Cyberattack Prevention

  Taking the time to learn which cybersecurity attacks could pose the most likely threat to your law firm is the first step to keeping sensitive data safe, protecting valuable client relationships and potentially saving millions of dollars in losses, says Daniel Klein at Cynet.

• What Web3 Means For Lawyers' Ethical Duties

  As law firms embrace Web3 technologies by accepting cryptocurrency as payment for legal fees, investing in metaverse departments and more, lawyers should remember their ethical duties to warn clients of the benefits and risks of technology in a murky regulatory environment, says Heidi Frostestad Kuehl at Northern Illinois University College of Law.

• NY's Cybersecurity CLE Rule Is A Sign Of Changing Times

  New York's recently announced requirement that lawyers complete cybersecurity training as part of their continuing legal education is a reminder that securing client information is more complicated in an increasingly digital world, and that expectations around attorneys' technology competence are changing, says Jason Schwent at Clark Hill.

• 4 Steps For Integrating AI Into Contract Management

  Companies must focus on several preliminary tasks when integrating artificial intelligence into their contract life cycle management systems to reap the benefits of data-driven insights and seamless processes, says Charmel Rhyne at Onit.

• A Law Student's Guide To Thriving As A Summer Associate

  Summer associates are expected to establish a favorable reputation and develop genuine relationships in a few short weeks, but several time management, attitude and communication principles can help them make the most of their time and secure an offer for a full-time position, says Joseph Marciano, who was a 2022 summer associate at Reed Smith.

• How I Owned My Power As An Asian American Woman In Law

  Gibson Dunn's Debra Yang shares the bumps in her journey to becoming the first female Asian American U.S. attorney, a state judge and a senior partner in BigLaw, and how other women can face their self-doubts and blaze their own trails to success amid systemic obstacles.

• Successful In-House Alt Legal Services Start With 4 Questions

  Law firms that are considering creating an in-house alternative legal service provider should focus not on recapturing revenue otherwise lost to outside vendors, but instead consider how a captive ALSP will better fulfill the needs of their clients and partners, say Beatrice Seravello and Brad Blickstein at Baretz & Brunelle.

• How Firms Can Prepare For AI-Based Knowledge Management

  Law firms implementing artificial intelligence tools to help lawyers find answers to administrative questions should remember that poor data integration practices can be costly and time-consuming, and must consider four steps to lay the groundwork, says Bim Dave at Helm360.

• Guiding Principles For Implementing New Legal Technology

  Best practices for adopting new legal technology include considering the details of the organization's needs, assembling an implementation team, integrating the new tool into the workflow and making it as easy as possible for the user, says Kate Orr at Orrick.

• Future Lawyers Expect DEI Commitments Beyond Recruiting

  To attract future lawyers from diverse backgrounds, firms must think beyond recruiting efforts, because law students are looking for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that invest in employee professional development and engage with students year-round, says Lauren Jackson at Howard University School of Law.

• How Law Firms Can Innovate Amid Rising Client Demands

  As clients increasingly tell law firms to integrate new legal technologies, firms should consider service delivery advancements that directly address the practice of law and can truly distinguish them — both from a technology and talent perspective, say members of Axiom Consulting.

• The Case That Showed Me The Value Of E-Discovery Plans

  Robert Keeling at Sidley reflects on leading discovery in the litigation that followed the historic $85 billion AT&T-Time Warner merger and how the case highlighted the importance of having a strategic e-discovery plan in place.