Legal Research

"Nine Legal Technology Trends for 2009: The Year of Hunkering Down"

Posted by Dennis Kennedy: "It's my annual tradition to take a look at trends in legal technology for the coming year and make some predictions about where we are headed. I'm running late this year because the current economic turmoil has made it difficult to assess what is likely to happen.

I decided to observe what transpired in the first few months of the year, gather some information at ABA TECHSHOW 2009 and then see if my crystal ball became a little clearer. I also felt that simply to say that the 2009 trends would be the same as my 2008 trends, but even more so, would be emotionally unsatisfying, even if it seemed accurate.

Unfortunately, it really hasn't, but it is April already and I thought I'd jump into this year's article with the idea that it will be a conversation-starter more so than a roadmap.

I'm actually quite pessimistic about what we'll see in legal technology, but I've taken a more positive outlook on these trends. Keep in mind that the economy could dramatically and negatively affect these trends. Let's face it, when firms are laying off lawyers and staff and fighting to keep the doors open, technology is going to be less of a priority that it might be in a normal year.

There's no doubt that there are pockets of enormous opportunity using technology in 2009 (think collaboration tools and client-focused technology), but it will be the rare firms or organizations that will be able to decide to make those investments. As a result, it's what happens OUTSIDE the legal profession with technology that will ultimately be the most important trends inside the legal profession over the long haul. With that in mind, the best legal technology investment to make this year is to buy (and read) - Richard Susskind's book - The End of Lawyers? - which is a great all-in-one resource on the big trends changing the profession and the outside pressures that will change the way lawyers practice.

With that said, I now launch into my 2009 trends.

1. Technology Budgets Get Decimated...

2. Making Do with What You Have or Doing More with Less...

3. The Mobile Phone as Platform...

4. Get Your head into the Cloud...

5. Using Tech to Get the Word Out and the Money In...

6. Focus on Client-focused Technology...

7. E-Discovery in Still Waters...

8. The Perfect Storm for Collaboration Tools...

9. A Potpourri of Predictions...

Concluding Thoughts. My best recommendation for 2009 is to read Richard Susskind's new book "The End of Lawyers?" and familiarize yourself with the two biggest influences on the legal profession he mentions - commoditisation and information technology - and the way they will disrupt and change the profession, probably faster than we expect. Then engage in the conversation about where technology is taking us. It might not seem like much will be happening in 2009, but big changes will be taking place under the surface. Hunker down, but keep your eyes and ears, and your mind, open."

Full text and active links are available at the source site listed below.

Source: DennisKennedy.com, 29 April 2009

Full post as published by Stark County Law Library Blawg on May 05, 2009 (boomark / email).