header-logo header-logo

A race against time?

13 December 2018 / Roger Smith
Issue: 7821 / Categories: Opinion , Legal services , Technology
printer mail-detail

With smaller firms still dragging their feet when it comes to new technology, Roger Smith provides a word of warning: keep looking over your shoulder

A recent American Bar Association (ABA) study raises the question of the extent to which smaller legal practices (and, by implication, those serving poorer clients) are using technology. Small firms are just not adopting technology in the headlong way that larger ones are—particularly those in the commercial sector. Is a split emerging between commercial and consumer firms over their adaption to technology? And what should small firms do?

Reshaping the sector

The US study found that small firms had adapted to remote access so that lawyers could work outside the office (available to 84% of respondents); they were settling on Windows as the operating system of choice (up from 46% to 59% in a year); pretty well everyone was using email; and 60% held records on the cloud, 13% of whom may well be heading for a fall because they take no additional security precautions. Tablets were on the

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
The Court of Protection has ruled in Macpherson v Sunderland City Council that capacity must be presumed unless clearly rebutted. In this week's NLJ, Sam Karim KC and Sophie Hurst of Kings Chambers dissect the judgment and set out practical guidance for advisers faced with issues relating to retrospective capacity and/or assessments without an examination
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
back-to-top-scroll