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IT Legal Staff: Counselors in the Marriage of Law and Technology

published May 23, 2005

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( 2 votes, average: 3.5 out of 5)
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Legal technology personnel take on a number of job titles and responsibilities. "I do a lot of project management&mdahs;testing new products, researching products, and negotiating between the [firm's] staff and my staff," said Henry Chace, Chief Information Officer at Burns and Levinson in Boston and Executive Vice President of the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA.) "There are several levels, and a whole range of numbers employed by firms," said Andrew Z. Adkins, III, Director of the Legal Technology Institute at the University of Florida, Levin College of Law. "You have the 'behind the walls' network people who take care of the servers. Then you have desktop support: the trainers and specialists who interact with the end users," Adkins explained.

"Typically, lawyers use computers for email, docketing, and document management; but there's a trend towards case and information management as well," Adkins said. By coming up with ideas for new products and innovative ways to serve clients through technology advances, IT legal staff can contribute to the firm's profitability. "The reliability of the system is paramount to the productivity of the firm," described Chace. Downtime in a firm's computer systems adds up to lack of productivity. Time is lost when an email to a client doesn't go through or when a document can't be opened. As attorneys and support staff bill by the hour, "any increment of any hour that they're not able to serve clients is time that they're not billing," Chace said. Through maintaining the firm's technology and offering new products that make client interaction easier and more efficient, legal technologists make the firm more productive and cost-effective.


And attorneys are not the only ones who benefit from law technology experts: legal staff are just as likely to need computer help. As such, it's essential that legal staff are as involved with the firm's technology decisions and training as lawyers. "Provide for quarterly updates and training sessions for the whole office," Adkins recommended. "If you put in a new product, but don't train people to use it in a way that's most effective…it won't be profitable," said Chace. Despite their involvement in the firm, "I don't think the IT department gets recognized for their contribution enough," said Adkins. Rewards often come from "the challenges of being able to solve problems and helping attorneys better utilize their system," Adkins said.

In a recent study, ILTA found that the median ratio of attorneys to IT legal staff was 35 to 1, and the median IT spending per attorney stood at approximately $13,000/year. Some experts, however, recommend an attorney/technologist ratio as low as 20 to 1. A firm's IT needs greatly depend on its location, size, and practice areas. "Some boutique practices, like those in intellectual property, may have a higher ratio," Chace stated. "It also depends on the type of clients you have," Chace added, explaining that large corporations, for example, may be more concerned with a firm's technology than individual clients looking for one-time legal advice. As for small firms that can't have a full-time IT specialist on board, "marry yourself a hardware person and a software person," advised Adkins. "Whenever you have problems, call them; and know the difference between the two." Contract with people who specialize in legal technology and are familiar with legal programs, Chace recommended.

For those interested in entering the profession, knowledge and understanding of technology aren't the only important factors. "You need to be technical, but just as important is to know how to talk to lawyers and staff," said Adkins. "The strongest skill you need to have is people skills," Chace agreed. "You need to be able to communicate on all levels." In fact, this executive is no stranger to any computer-related task: when a new partner recently needed help troubleshooting his printer, Chace didn't hesitate to roll up his sleeves, get under the desk, and solve the problem. "In 15 minutes, his printer was working," Chace said, "and that was the point."
 
 

published May 23, 2005

( 2 votes, average: 3.5 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.