OPINION COVID CHANGES HERE TO STAY The Legal Tech Committee is focussed on moving along the discussion around the critical role of technology in the way we work and manage our client’s demands. Many of the changes necessitated by Covid-19 will be here to stay, but that won’t be the end of the story and further change will come thick and fast. In this article we highlight some of the more topical issues facing lawyers.
Mitigating Legal Technology Security Threats The need to mitigate technology security threats within the legal sector was there long before the pandemic and will remain. But we will need to navigate these carefully as we all return to some form of normality. Hybrid working is likely to be a permanent fixture for many and introduces new risks as data will now be accessed both at home and in the office. The need for a layered profile of security is now required no matter how or where legal work is conducted, the continuing acceleration in technology adoption demands that security that keeps pace. People need new tools in order to complete work in the hybrid world of office and home working. Those tools need to be standardised to ensure everyone is working in the “right” way and so that as many security “gaps” can be filled as possible. 22 www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
Lawyers (still) love paper! There are still going to be times when only paper will do, But what happens to redundant documents after the advice has been given poses an issue for remote/ hybrid working. You can’t be certain that documents destroyed at home are properly destroyed. And having lawyers carrying bin bags of client confidential documents into the office to shred, isn’t ideal. The only real solution is to drive on towards paperless working and that of course adds to demands on technology. Intuitive and innovative solutions such as virtual pens or online drawing tools sound like a solution, but also bring their own challenges (not least of all, cost) and whilst elements of the legal profession continue to rely on physical documents, we will continue to work in this semi paperless limbo. There is no immediate solution but we must start somewhere! Convenience Vs. Security As the pandemic-induced technological panic subsides, we need to move the focus firmly back to security, but not entirely at the expense of convenience of course! Client communications demonstrate this clearly. The speed and ease of communication (Teams, Zoom, Instant messenger, WhatsApp etc) means that even the trusty email trail is falling by the wayside. A good thing to a point but it remains as critical as ever to make sure that there remains an accurate record
