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09 December 2010
Issue: 7445 / Categories: Legal News
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Lawyers inspecting gadgets

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.

Lawyers are swift to adopt new gadgets such as smartphones and Kindles, and see themselves as being at the forefront of technology.

he old-fashioned stereotype of the Luddite solicitor bears little truth according to new research among 100 lawyers ranging from sole practitioner to partner in a Magic Circle firm.

Nearly half of the respondents to the survey, commissioned by LexisNexis, considered themselves to be “early adopters” or “at the cutting edge” in embracing new technologies.

More than three-quarters of respondents said they favour online or digital resources over traditional paper-based law libraries. More than one in 10 have already purchased an Apple iPad, which only became available in May, and use it specifically for legal work. Ten per cent of respondents have an eBook reader, such as Kindle, specifically for legal work.

Nearly nine in 10 respondents retrieve information from digital sources other than email on a daily basis, for example, by downloading eBooks or via a smartphone. Two-thirds use a BlackBerry, and three-quarters of respondents pick up email either constantly or at least every hour

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

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Sponsored by
Laytons ETL—Maximilian Kraitt

Laytons ETL—Maximilian Kraitt

Commercial firm strengthens real estate disputes team with associate hire

Switalskis—three appointments

Switalskis—three appointments

Firm appoints three directors to board

Browne Jacobson—seven promotions

Browne Jacobson—seven promotions

Six promoted to partner and one to legal director across UK and Ireland offices

NEWS
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NLJ this week: Mazur and more—inside the litigation frontline

From blockbuster judgments to procedural shake-ups, the courts are busy reshaping litigation practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School hails the Court of Appeal's 'exquisite judgment’ in Mazur restoring the role of supervised non-qualified staff, and highlights a ‘mammoth’ damages ruling likened to War and Peace, alongside guidance on medical reporting fees, where a pragmatic 25% uplift was imposed

NLJ this week: Social media bans for children spark legal dilemmas
Momentum is building behind proposals to restrict children’s access to social media—but the legal and practical challenges are formidable. In NLJ this week, Nick Smallwood of Mills & Reeve examines global moves, including Australia’s under-16 ban and the UK's consultation
NLJ this week: Leasehold reform risks creating ‘forgotten freeholders’
Reforms designed to rebalance landlord-tenant relations may instead penalise leaseholders themselves. In this week's NLJ, Mike Somekh of The Freehold Collective warns that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 risks creating an ‘underclass’ of resident-controlled freehold companies
NLJ this week: Court of Appeal clarifies when a claim truly begins
Timing is everything—and the Court of Appeal has delivered clarity on when proceedings are ‘brought’. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold explains that a claim is issued for limitation purposes when the claim form is delivered to the court, even if fees are underpaid
NLJ this week: Split FDRs could ease pressure—and boost settlements
The traditional ‘single, intensive day’ of financial dispute resolution (FDR) may be due for a rethink. Writing in NLJ this week, Rachel Frost-Smith and Lauren Guiler of Birketts propose a ‘split FDR’ model, separating judicial evaluation from negotiation
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