by Traverse Legal, reviewed by Enrico Schaefer - December 4, 2008 - High-Tech Law Firms
It never ceases to amaze me. I talk to small firm lawyers and big firm lawyers all the time. They call me on the phone seeking information and advice. Almost without exception, I quickly learn that these lawyers have used the efficiency which technology brings to reduce staff.
Lawyers don’t need secretaries anymore. They can type their own documents because of innovations in word processing and personal computers.
It is now possible for three lawyers to share a single secretary. Technology has increased efficiency by way of email. Lawyers can type their own emails. There is no need for correspondence and thus, less need for secretaries to type correspondence.
With technology, I can do everything myself! I don’t need any staff!
Lawyers now spend a good part of their day engaged in purely administrative functions, from faxing and scanning, to drafting and typing, technology has actually worked against the client. There is no question that technology brings tremendous efficiency. The real question is who gets the benefit of that efficiency?
At our firm, we use technology in ways most firms can’t even contemplate, except one. We staff up, not down. We use digital dictation and 24 x 7 extranet access to delegate and drive tasks to internal administrative workers as well as virtual workers. We use technology to think more and engage in strategic decision making, not to type or draft or research or engage in all of the other administrative or law clerk functions that technology makes available.
Lawyers who use technology to reduce staff will ultimately fail for a single reason. Clients don’t tolerate paying for lawyers to engage in administrative or law clerk level work. They want their lawyers to spend their time figuring out how to win, solving problems and engaging in other high level activities…not typing, faxing and scanning.
As a founding partner of Traverse Legal, PLC, he has more than thirty years of experience as an attorney for both established companies and emerging start-ups. His extensive experience includes navigating technology law matters and complex litigation throughout the United States.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by attorney Enrico Schaefer, who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a practicing Business, IP, and Technology Law litigation attorney.
