Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Accounting and Financial Planning for Law FirmsLJN NewslettersNewsSections

Differentiating Your Firm With Technology

By James M. Pfau
November 29, 2004

Law firms were late adopters of information technology. In 1990, when clients were providing all employees with standalone personal computers running DOS and Lotus 1-2-3, law firms were still buying Wang terminals for secretaries and dictation equipment for lawyers ' and many lawyers never expected to touch a keyboard.

Differentiating a firm with technology was easy in those days: The firm simply had to have technology.

Of course, there's little evidence that clients cared much about their firms' technology in those days. In contrast, some clients today will base their choice of law firms in part on the firms' technology. Clients want to know about a firm's technology for reusing and sharing work product (and other information under the general rubric of “knowledge management”). Clients want to know that they can access task, contact and other information through a firm's extranet. And clients want to know that their firms are generally capable of providing the technology that clients need to receive efficient and capable legal services.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Spurred By Data Breaches, CLOs Are Increasing Cybersecurity Leadership Role Image

Chief information officers still bear the brunt of cybersecurity worries at many companies. But a study by the Association of Corporate Counsel Foundation finds that chief legal officers are increasingly taking a leadership role in cybersecurity strategy.

GCs Want to Tap Into AI But Lack Roadmap, Report Shows Image

General counsel are eager to tap the promise of generative AI. But without clear technology road maps, many legal departments are struggling to turn that interest into action.

Is Google Search Dead? The Key to Thriving In an AI-Driven World Image

Part Two of this two-part article examines practical steps marketers must take to succeed in this changing landscape by embracing a multichannel, AI-driven approach to their marketing and PR efforts.

Shifting Crypto and Cyber Enforcement Priorities In SEC Image

When the SEC issues the next annual enforcement report for fiscal year 2025, we expect securities offering actions and investment adviser actions will almost certainly be up, and the “crypto” and “cyber” cases will almost certainly be down. Public statements by the new SEC administration have said as much, but even more telling than public statements are the allocation of limited enforcement resources.

Seventh, Ninth Court Rulings Tighten Reach of Federal Video Privacy Protection Act Image

The VPPA may be nearly four-decades old and video-rental stores largely a thing of the past, but the rise of online content, streaming services and ancillary activities has brought with it frequent litigation based on the VPPA. The key challenge in these litigations is how to interpret the VPPA’s 1980s terms in light of today’s digital advances.