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03 September 2009 / Susan Knox
Issue: 7383 / Categories: Features , Profession , Technology
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Dispelling technophobia

Susan Knox claims lawyers cannot ignore the omnipresent call of new technology

Today, many people in the UK include mobile phones, PDAs, instant messaging clients and social networking applications as their primary means of communication. Lawyers are no exception, frequently using these tools in their personal as well as professional lives. Many lawyers nevertheless discount newer means of communication as potential sources of evidence, instead focusing on “traditional” sources of electronic evidence such as hard drives, back-up tapes, CDs and DVDs. However, by avoiding these new technologies and tools, lawyers may be overlooking critical evidence.

Newer means of communication
 

Having more or less completed the move to computers, word processors and e-mail messages, Britons are now swiftly moving toward ever more portable versions of these tools. Once, a laptop computer was viewed as the convenient alternative to being tied to a desk or office. Now, many laptop users read and write e-mail messages while on the go using handheld PDAs that also act as phones, portable music systems, GPS devices, cameras and planners. Some

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Shakespeare Martineau—David Vaughan

Shakespeare Martineau—David Vaughan

Shakespeare Martineau appoints new London office head as firm continues investment in capital

Browne Jacobson—Kevin Moore

Browne Jacobson—Kevin Moore

Browne Jacobson strengthens All-Island life sciences platform with appointment of leading Galway MedTech lawyer

Clarke Willmott—Latitude Law

Clarke Willmott—Latitude Law

National law firm strengthens commercial offering with acquisition of leading immigration practice

NEWS
Mr Justice Nicklin’s decision to order costs on an indemnity basis may be a ‘significant win’ but it’s still ‘far from game, set and match’ for Associated Newspapers, a former costs judge has said
The Law Society RFC Festival of Sport returns next month, bringing together legal and financial services professionals for one of the sector’s largest annual sporting events
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners
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