Legal Research

"Have You Read 70c40efd-86ef-4d27-90b5-8d818b15f2fc.pdf?"

This post was written by Mister Thorne: "Seems as if some law firms are going against the flow.

While companies around the world are following Apple's lead in making everything simple and easy to use, law firms touting their deep and abiding commitment to excellence are, to some extent, treating their clients like machines rather than people.

When a company (or law firm) really cares about excellence, it shows; and it shows in very many things. If a customer has a question, the company that really cares responds promptly and in suitable style; that is, the answer isn't just delivered quickly, it makes sense.

And the company that really cares doesn't confront the layperson with highly technical information.

... download some files your firm's web site. Download some client alerts, or newsletters, or press releases.

Do they have descriptive names like karvelas-on-US_steel-v-Shell.pdf

or meaningless names like 70c40efd-86ef-4d27-90b5-8d818b15f2fc.pdf?

If the latter, then your firm isn't really serious about offering superior client service...

* Sure, how you name the files you provide to clients and prospective clients seems trivial, but it's important. Imagine someone doing research. He collects a folder full of files he wants to review. If the names of the files from Firm A are meaningful and the files from Firm B are meaningless, guess which firm the researcher likes best."

Full text and active links are available by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Set in Style, 10 May 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

Full post as published by Stark County Law Library Blawg on May 11, 2010 (boomark / email).