Legal webinar: Law firm investment in tech during the pandemic

Jennifer Tomlinson
Written by Jennifer Tomlinson / Jun 01, 2020

As Executive VP of Marketing, I work to identify business needs and help QorusDocs’ clients generate revenue more effectively and efficiently. I spearhead efforts to increase brand awareness through digital marketing and client engagement.

Tech, tools, processes, and security – these are all top of mind and high priority right now as law firms are embracing the new normal: remote working.

While a number of firms had begun exploring new tech solutions pre COVID-19, and some had plans in place to roll out innovative solutions in the not-too-distant future, the pandemic forced many firms to take action immediately.

In the second installment of our three-part legal webinar series, our esteemed guest speakers shared their insight into how firms have done so and what they believe the future of work for legal professionals may look like.

The webinar was facilitated by Jobst Elster, Head of Content and Legal Market Strategy for InsideLegal.com, and we were joined by:

Skip Lohmeyer, Chief Information Officer at Parker Poe

Caryl Bauwens, Marketing Technology Project Manager at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Beth Anne Stuebe, Director of Publications and Press at the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA)

Justin Hectus, Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer of Keesal, Young & Logan

 A big ‘thank you’ to each of our guest speakers for the insight they shared in the webinar!

Webinar highlights (and handy resources for legal professionals)

The webinar is jam-packed full of useful insights and advice, but here are some conversation highlights:

Work-from-home policies and practices will, in many cases, be modified moving into the future

In our ‘quick poll’, we saw that almost half (42%) of respondents say that their firm will adjust or modify their remote policies and procedures. Our panelists are seeing similar trends and a shift away from the ‘stigma’ that previously existed around remote work in some cases.

People are showing that they can be productive, if not even more so, working from home, so we could see firms reconsidering how much real estate they really need for their offices, showing an affinity towards certain management styles (self-accountability, for example), and adopting technologies that enable remote working.

As Beth Anne explains, the idea of having something ‘on-prem’ now is an idea that isn’t really happening - everyone is moving to the cloud, and if firms weren’t considering it, they’re considering it now.

Security, training, and communication are three (always) essential elements that are critical for remote work success

No matter how big or small the organization, firms need to take the responsibility of ensuring that all the necessary privacy and security measures, along with policies and procedures around security, are in place.

Making sure that individuals understand that there is personal level of responsibility and accountability is also essential – and that’s where training or education (as well as communication) come into play.

The COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated just how critical security is, and if ever there was a time to have conversations around this within organizations, it’s now – before something goes wrong.

Aside from communication around security, it’s important to check in with everyone in the organization. Before, working together in an office, you could see if someone was demoralized or struggling with a document, for example – and that’s no longer the case. Firms need to be sure no one is ‘being left behind’, so maintaining contact and ensuring that they have training support is key.

You might also like: Resources for supporting remote workers in the law firm

The pandemic is shifting the way business is done and which projects and tools are being prioritized, while prompting innovation

The general consensus is that the way business is done will quite likely change in some shape or form as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. And, as our panelists discussed, there are already some new trends emerging.

Aside from projects that support remote work taking precedence, one of the key focal points right now is on solutions that increase the speed of doing business and reduce friction. Justin shares that any projects focused on ‘on prem’ or legacy systems either seem to be on pause or are being re-evaluated.

Items such as innovation, process improvement, artificial intelligence, automation, and cloud-based security have all become core table stakes, as Skip explains. He believes that these will stick around, but because of the current situation, tools that enable communication and team cohesion (like Zoom and Microsoft Teams) are taking the spotlight.

Essentially, this pandemic has prompted firms to think differently about work and the future of work. While some firms might tighten up on the ‘innovation dollars’ they spend, they’ll need to continue innovating and looking at new and better ways to offer extraordinary legal services to meet clients’ needs. 

Resources and tips
Watch the webinar

To deep dive into the above conversation points, watch the webinar below.

Deep dive with law firm investment in tech and tools

Catch up on the first webinar in our legal series: 10 legal marketing trends (and realities) in 30 minutes.