Legal Technology Journal

This issue focuses on technology as an enabler, blurring the boundaries between roles and functions by connecting processes and people. It’s packed with case studies – eight instead of the usual seven!

Our first case study looks at people, highlighting the extent to which one firm relied on its exceptional IT director. Andy Maclusky – IT director of the year at the 2007 Legal Technology Awards – describes how he and his dedicated team at Maples & Calder kept the firm’s systems up and running following Hurricane Ivan. He shares the lessons learned from that experience in terms of business continuity planning.

We then shift the focus from people to processes. We begin with some practical guidance. Janet Day, IT director at Berwin Leighton Paisner demonstrates the collaboration – and project-management skills – required to deliver a recent multi - disciplinary, enterprise-wide project. Ian Thompson, director of innovation at Australian firm Minter Ellison SA/NT, reports on the firm’s lab testing of an integrated practice management system that facilitates interactivity between different functions and processes.

In The Times recently, legal technology guru Richard Susskind wrote that legal services were ‘in a transitional phase between the print-based industrial society and the IT-based information society.’ Nathan Hayes, head of infrastructure and technology at Osborne Clarke, explains how business process management tools are enabling standard processes to be automated, driving consistency, productivity and innovation. The move to electronic files is improving business efficiency and resilience too. Business continuity manager Sam Clark underlines the value added by document imaging at Clifford Chance in terms of reducing cost and risk and providing firm-wide access to transactional documentation. However, both case studies acknowledge the importance of overcoming cultural as well as technical issues.

Technology helps firms to close the gap between information and knowledge. International know-how manager Justin Harness describes how Lovells’ knowledge sharing portal underpins its one-firm approach and drives business efficiency by bringing together the firm’s collective information and expertise.

David Jabbari, global head of know-how at Allen & Overy and pioneer of social networking tools in law firms gives LTJ an update on another cutting-edge project: deploying intelligent search to provide global sub-second access to the firm’s multimedia knowledge and information resources.

It is universally acknowledged that mobile working is a lynchpin of the 21st century firm. The mobile phone recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. Who could have envisaged in 1987 the sophisticated unified communications systems described by Anthony Salter, programme manager at Norton Rose?

Finally, it’s that time of year again… This issue includes the shortlists for the 2008 Legal Technology Awards which will be presented on 31 January 2008.

Thanks are due to everyone who has contributed to this issue. Issue 8 will be published after the awards. If you would like to share your experiences with LTJ in a case study or profile feature or suggest topics for future issues, it would be great to hear from you.

Joanna Goodman