Legal Commentary

I turn the microphone over to my colleague, LTN's news editor Brendan McKenna:

The American Bar Association has drafted two issue papers that have the legal technology community on high alert: "Client Confidentiality and Lawyers' Use of Technology" and "Lawyers' Use of Internet Based Client Development Tools." Comments are due by Dec. 15, 2010.

In "ABA on Collision Course With New Technology," Jonathan Ezor, assistant professor of law and technology, and director of the Institute for Business, Law and Technology at New York's Touro Law Center, warns our community to take heed. The proposed papers, he argues, don't reflect the current state of technology and practice realities. Since 1999, when the ABA first approved the use of unencrypted e-mail, we have been introduced to everything from cloud computing and smartphones, to virtual law offices, he notes.

Consultant Larry Bodine addresses the marketing issues here.

Join the discussion at the ABA's "Commission on Ethics 20/20" website. (An e-mail list has also been created.)