HOW LEGAL PRACTITIONERS CAN ENHANCE THEIR PRACTICE WITH THE HELP OF TECHNOLOGY
Author: Aditi pandey, II year of BA.LLB(h) from Amity law school, Noida
There are many ways through which Legal practitioners can enhance their practice with the help of technology and this is high time for us to think about legal technology, as the law is structured around specific forms of knowledge, the flow of information, and network of communication. Legal technology has improved and developed recently because of investment and access to new technology, as we all are aware of this new normal, work from home because legal practitioners who always wanted printed copies of every case are now bound to read through pdfs.
Laptops and tablets have become their friends, judges were bound to give judgments over virtual hearing also work from home has gained many positive remarks as it has increased the efficiency of the legal work and also the productivity for junior attorneys as they were not able to use their potential properly, with technology in hand there is no need for the junior attorney to odd jobs like collecting files or to maintain reminding calendars for the senior attorneys, technology can help lawyers to remain updated with every change in the regulation around the globe even when they are not at their desk.
It also helps to maintain global relations; legal practitioners can use technology to have meetings and discussion overseas. This will ultimately lead to the growth of the law firm by expanding the geographical reach of their services, many firms are now investing in legal technology. This helps lawyers to deliver fast services to their clients. Thus, legal technology plays a very vital role when it comes to firm positioning in the international legal market.[i]
The very important thing which legal technology does is to bridge the gap between legal practitioners and others. This gives lawyers a clear idea and understanding of what people or their clients are going through in common these days and comes up with relevant solutions.[ii]
In today's world where everyone seeks their benefit in their field this has developed a lack of trust between a client and a lawyer but legal technology has increased the transparency, however, these legal technologies can create a marketplace where the client can get easy access to the legal practitioners, this can further help them partner the right legal professionals and enjoy higher advantages, in addition to trust and transparency in the process.[iii]
Better resource management like earlier when juniors were recruited to do odd jobs this not only made them very less interested to work but also made seniors wonder how to use their potential in a better way, and this is something the legal technology can help with the legal management apps and calendar management apps performs all the task associated with titles along with giving them the quick insights of what tasks they have to do in a particular day, this allows senior to use the resources[here, juniors] in a better and effective way and because technology minimises the errors this always results in a better outcome.[iv]
Decline in errors this is one of the best benefits for legal practitioners who use legal technologies is that it cut down the risk of errors that might be possible because of overlooking or misinterpretation of any fact and figure, ultimately this would bring a drastic change in the judgment the technological solutions to all the details also it adds the facility to use the power of analytic in the processing, making it easier for a legal practitioner to look at any fact or evidence from different angles and utilize it in a better and effective manner.
Convenience has become higher, legal-based apps and software have created a circle of convenience for the progress in the law industry it benefits almost everyone on the one side these legal technologies help common user or client to find an idea of the solution of their problem and also help them to connect to the best legal professional without stepping out of their home. While on the other side it provides the legal professional with an opportunity to maintain communication with other attorneys and clients update them in real-time, perform research work efficiently and many more this result, make a complete legal ecosystem highly convenient for all the clients the attorneys and the lawyers
It has enhanced customers experience, today it is very important to keep your client happy and satisfied for maintaining good relations with clients a legal practitioners should utilize legal technology as it helps to create a bond by delivering customized service to the client, it can gather heaps of customer data in real-time and help you to know your client better, it can also send personalised message and emails to keep them engaged all the time.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a life-changing impact on businesses of all sizes and across the globe. In the legal sector, many firms were forced to move their operations from their corporate office to remote working in the space of just a day, as a result, what would have taken years of planning-project management, client management, time management definition of objectives and risks, IT security for remote working, moving to cloud-based solutions -took place across an entire industry in just a matter of weeks. In the field of law, there is one sure change which is increasing adoption of technology to facilitate better ways of working and I believe the acceleration towards powerful technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) to boost productivity and ensurement, which will ensure better client service and enable diverse ways of working there are many many lawyers and legal professional who said they believe technology is essential for the future success of their firm. [v]
[ii]Ibid
[iii](May11,2021,11:30AM)http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1727-37812008000400003
[iv]Ibid
[v](May 12,2021,9:00AM) https://www.legalkart.com/legal-blog/importance-of-technology-for-lawyers-in-the-coming-times