In-House Counsel

A surprising emphasis on technology training appeared in a recent white paper. A chart summarizes the survey responses from 150 lawyers among the largest in the United States and Canada, reported in Future Law Office: Delivering Value-Added Legal Services in Challenging Times (Robert Half Legal 2009) at 6. The question asked of them was ?Which of the following techniques, if any, are being implemented by your law firm to enhance your team?s focus on client services??

What struck me was that the second most common technique, selected by 87 percent of the lawyers was ?Technical tools training or training to help employees maximize technology.? From what I see and hear, law department managers do not commonly mention technology use by firms as shaping and improving the delivery of legal services (See my post of Dec. 6, 2007: software at law firms that most helps law departments.). Maybe they are unaware of the strides law firms have taken; maybe firms over-rate the improvements their technical training has brought about.