Category: Management and Technology

If I were still a Big Law CIO going into budget season now, I’d have strong views about how to present my 2009 budget proposal to management.  This is a tough year for many law firms. Only desperate law firms will short-change critical IT infrastructure...

The 2008 Am Law Tech Survey is out. It’s a good read for law firm CIOs and IT directors but I would not rely on the year to year comparison.  The article Am Law Tech 2008: IT in the Balance (Law Firm Inc., 9 Oct...

The world of law firms divides into lawyers and non-lawyers. And that’s a shame.  In An overlooked recruitment opportunity blogger Jordan Furlong concludes that large law firms have an excellent opportunity to gain a competitive edge by properly recognizing the value non-fee-earning staff add. He...

Good leaders communicate effectively and frequently. How many large law firm managing partners or general counsels use blogs to communicate internally?  I’ve frequently written about the marketing benefits of large law firms blogging. The Wall Street Journal reports today, in Design for Learning: RISD Gets...

I wish I had systematically tracked large law firm staff and lawyer reductions.  Not to single out particular firms, but I just read a couple more reports of BigLaw cutbacks. Duane Morris Lays Off Additional Staff (Legal Week, 22 Aug 08) reports that many of...

The The New York Times reported last week (8 Aug 2008) on a study analyzing the cost of not settling law suits. Defense lawyers make bad calls not to settle in almost 1 out of 4 cases. Can lawyers improve that record?  Study Finds Settling...

Though law firms are laying off staff, I have seen no evidence (yet) that legal IT workers are particularly at risk. That said, it’s always good to be prepared  Every professional who wants to remain employed should have a current resume. You just never know...

I am a long-time fan of the UK-based Legal Technology Insider and its companion Orange Rag blog. So I was pleased to learn that a US edition launches soon.  From a PDF-flyer: “American Legal Technology Insider – a new publication focusing on the large firms...