Technology, Virtual Practice Overarching Themes at Wisconsin Solo and
Small Firm Conference
State Bar President Kevin Klein (left) and U.W. Law School Dean
Margaret Raymond were among a panel discussing the future of law
practice at the Wisconsin and Solo and Small Firm Conference in
Wisconsin Dells.
Attorney Tom Watson, vice president at Wisconsin Lawyers Mutual
Insurance Company, moderated a panel of
lawyers addressing "Real World Thoughts on the Virtual
Practice of Law."
Tammie Clendenning (right) gave a presentation on creative ways to
save money on law firm technology and Aaron Leveston (center) and
Melissa Line (left) were among the many vendors in the expo center
answering questions about useful products.
Oct. 26, 2012 – It’s not uncommon to hear the words
“challenge” and “opportunity” alongside
“technology” and the “practice of law.” In fact,
technology’s impact on law practice is an overarching theme at the
Wisconsin Solo and Small Firm Conference, which kicked off yesterday in
Wisconsin Dells.
Featured speakers and panelists are focusing on “virtual law
practice” and the “future of law” in a world that is
both changing consumer behavior and creating new economic realities for
lawyers. Amidst change, lawyers must explore law practice solutions
while recognizing what clients want.
“To the extent lawyers are assessing new technology tools to
improve their own efficiencies, they must also view technology from the
perspective of the client,” said State Bar President Kevin Klein,
a solo practitioner in Phillips and a panelist addressing the future of
law practice.
For instance, consumers are increasingly purchasing products online,
and may have an increased expectation that lawyers deliver the same
conveniences to their clients. Other consumers want a-la-carte legal
services, known as limited scope representation or unbundled legal
services.
Lawyers are also competing with entities such LegalZoom, which provide
basic legal documents online. As the State Bar’s Practice
Management Advisor Nerino Petro says, “If you haven’t heard
of LegalZoom or RocketLawyer, you better learn. These entities present a
real challenge to the profession.”
Some lawyers are finding new ways to bridge consumer gaps through
online tools, which can increase efficiencies, decrease costs, and make
lawyers more accessible. A handful of these attorneys were on hand to
address the questions and concerns of solo and small firm practitioners
taking similar steps.
“The Internet is how people access products, so why should the
law be any different?” asked virtual law practitioner Michael
Brennan, a panelist on “Real World Thoughts on the Virtual
Practice of Law.”
Brennan practices business law and estate planning across three states
through his virtual law
officebut is based in Milwaukee. “I’ve done substantial
deals without ever meeting a client face-to-face. But there are
challenges,” he said. “It’s a new concept, and
consumers aren’t really aware that we exist.”
Other panelists, such as Thomas Schumacher, Kathy Brost and Zeshan
Usman, use virtual practice tools such as email and cloud computing to
reduce overhead.
“The clients care most about your expertise,” said
Schumacher, whose firm is considering office-sharing arrangements to
lower overhead costs. “They don’t care where
you’re located.”
Of course, State Bar Ethics Counsel Tim Pierce was empaneled to address
the ethical implications of practicing law through virtual and online
practice tools.
“Lawyers must ask, ‘can I competently represent the client
without ever meeting them?’ What we are hearing is that it can
work for some practice areas but not others,” said Pierce, who
also noted issues with limited scope representation and confidentiality,
among others.
Big changes are coming to the profession of law through technology,
affecting not just for how attorneys run their practice, but client
expectations as well. State Bar President Kevin Klein discusses these
and other trends and what they mean for lawyers, especially sole
practitioners. Klein was a panelist for the opening plenary presentation
of the 2012 Wisconsin Solo and Small Firm Conference.
David Bilinsky, practice management advisor and consultant for the Law
Society of British Columbia, gave his own presentation today on
“How to Assemble Your Virtual Team,” explaining how lawyers
can use collaborative technologies to reach new clients and a build
virtual legal staff.
Petro encouraged the packed house of solo and small firm practitioners
to try the technology tools that can help them succeed.
“Technology has gotten to the point where we can do this and do it
effectively,” he said. “Lawyers have a tendency to fear the
worst case scenario. But don’t be afraid to try it.”
Technology also presents challenges and opportunities for the court
system. John Voelker, director of state courts, joined the “future
of the law” panel, noting that nearly 80 percent of the
state’s judges will be eligible to retire in two years, and new
judges will have different expectations in terms of technology.
He says the court system will be encouraging more lawyers to use the
e-filing system that is currently operating in 18 counties at the
circuit court level, with expansion in future years.
“E-filing presents a unique opportunity for us as a court
system,” Voelker said, noting that e-filing eliminates the need
for data entry by court clerks and lawyers can file documents 24 hours a
day.
Meanwhile, technical and conceptual ideas are fueling talks among the
nearly 400 lawyers attending breakout sessions on technology,
substantive law, practice management, and ethics.
“The communication among attorneys gives new ideas and new
perspectives,” said Klein, noting the importance of solo and small
firm practitioners meeting annually to discuss new challenges and
solutions. “There’s a great benefit in talking with other
lawyers about the issues we all face.”
Many of the programs from the Wisconsin Solo and Small Firm Conference,
which ends with a half-day session tomorrow at the Chula Vista Resort,
will be available via webcast in the near future.
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