The practice of law in the twenty-first century increasingly requires attorneys and staff to utilize technology in order to best serve customers. Lots of law office utilize predictive tagging software, online search engine powered by expert system, and other advanced methods in order to conserve money and more effectively total legal tasks. In addition, the practice of law requires that lawyers use fundamental innovation such as email applications, word processing program, and other more commonplace technology. Although it is understandable that some attorneys might not be fluent with advanced innovation in the legal market, there is no reason that legal representatives are not proficient with standard technology like track changes, e-mail application, and the like.
I’ll be the first to confess, I am not always the very best when it comes to new technology. I did not own a smart device up until 2013, and I embraced social networks platforms far later than others. When I moved from firm to firm throughout my profession prior to starting my own practice, it usually took me a good amount of time to get used to the file management systems, time tracker software application, and other technology at each of these firms.
Nevertheless, I learned years, if not decades back, how to perform standard technological tasks. For instance, I found out how to use track changes in a Word document a long time earlier, most likely given that I have actually been using Microsoft Word considering that Windows 95. Additionally, I know all of the functions of email applications, including Bcc, reply all, and other functions that trip up other legal representatives, likely considering that I have had an e-mail address (initially a long-lost AOL e-mail address) since I remained in fourth grade in the mid-90s. Comprehending all of these standard technologies makes it much easier to perform my job as a lawyer and best serve customers.
It might appear like all attorneys know fundamental innovations within the legal profession, however I routinely experience legal representatives who are not well versed in even the most routine innovations. For instance, earlier in my profession, I represented a customer for whom I was working out a lease. Normally when lawyers negotiate a lease, they utilize track changes in Microsoft Word, so that attorneys can propose and accept changes and so attorneys can leave comments that are helpful to the settlements.
My adversary stated that he was not that well versed in tracked modifications, and he sent me a document that purportedly included his recommended modifications in the negotiation. Nevertheless, the tracked modifications were only present in part of the document, and in other parts of the file, the other attorney just made modifications without tracking them so it was challenging to tell what existed in the original document and what had been altered by this legal representative. Using the compare function in Word helped fix the problem of tracking modifications, but the lawyer would have assisted move the procedure of working out along more quickly by properly utilizing track changes.
When a foe does not comprehend standard technology, it often requires another lawyer to describe how– to the exemption of other jobs. For instance, one time I sent out an attorney a file with modifications in track modifications and the other lawyer swore that he could not see the revisions. The other attorney believed that I did not utilize track changes or that I did not know what I was doing. I ultimately discovered that this legal representative had his review setting in “no markup” instead of “complete markup” and this is why he might not see my redlines. I needed to discuss to this lawyer, action by step, how to select complete markup in order to see all of the changes that were made to the document for his evaluation.
At another point in my career, I was at completion of an agreement settlement and it was time for everybody to sign the document. The agreement particularly allowed electronic signatures, and I proposed to my adversary that the document be signed through an electronic signature application. This attorney reacted by saying that he was traditional which he did not know how to use such an application. I recommended that I would establish the file for signature in this electronic signature application, however I believe the attorney was paranoid I would publish a revised document for signature. This lawyer asked that the file be printed out and signed, and because my client did not have a printer, performing the document in this manner was far more difficult than merely signing the document in an electronic signature application.
All told, no one expects lawyers to be well versed in innovative innovation, and fortunately, the practice of law seldom includes making use of extremely sophisticated technology. However, all legal representatives must have a basic understanding of some essential innovations that make it easier to deal with enemies and finest serve clients.
Jordan Rothman is a partner of The Rothman Law Firm, a full-service New york city and New Jersey law practice. He is also the founder of Trainee Financial obligation Diaries, a site discussing how he paid off his trainee loans. You can reach Jordan through email at [email protected].
Source: https://abovethelaw.com/2022/04/some-lawyers-are-unacceptably-bad-with-technology/