Essential tech skills for lawyers include proficiency in virtual communication, data analysis, online legal research, and case management. Technology has transformed the practice of law, from how lawyers communicate with each other and engage with clients to how they perform research and prepare legal documents. It has streamlined and added efficiency to everyday tasks. Attorney candidates who want to remain competitive in the current tech-driven legal sector must have the required tech skills and know the top legal software.
Are you an attorney candidate looking to join a leading law firm? Legal recruiters at Astor Professional Search know the essential tech skills required to thrive in the legal industry. Call us at (312) 781-9000 to speak to one of our legal placement professionals today.
There are several essential tech skills lawyers should have in the digital age:
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many legal firms to move to remote working environments. Many firms have maintained remote working or a hybrid arrangement post-pandemic. But, what skills are employers looking for in legal candidates to ensure they maintain high productivity levels in remote environments?
Many firms have added “competency in using digital communication and collaboration technologies” as a prerequisite for attorney candidates to ensure teams remain engaged, motivated, and collaborative. So, you must have the knack for using:
Tech has revolutionized how lawyers conduct legal research. Today, research happens online. Many resources with huge quantities of legal data are available online. Attorneys can obtain crucial data related to their practice areas from these resources.
Attorney candidates who seek to differentiate themselves from the crowd must know where to find and how to use online research platforms. Some examples of these platforms are legal database research engines, legal dictionaries, and federal- and state-level legislative websites.
Technological innovations have enabled legal professionals to shift from traditional paper-based discovery to electronic discovery systems. Today, eDiscovery is the norm. Thus, the technologies enabling the organization and analysis of digital discovery documents will continue proliferating in the legal community. Besides mastering eDiscovery processes, you must know how to leverage electronic devices to monitor representation, conduct document reviews, and manage projects.
Technology has changed the practice of law. Legal processes and documents are now handled and accessible online. For instance, law books are now online databases, lawyers maintain correspondence with clients through smartphones, and legal contract documents are now available in digital versions. Simply put, technology has simplified everyday legal tasks and streamlined their performance.
There’s a collective fear that tech innovations, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, will replace human workers. You don’t have to worry about that. This is because tech leaders in the legal field continue to refine automation tools and find ways to strike a balance between automated and manual, human-based tasks.
AI-powered automation systems help optimize, streamline, and improve attorneys’ everyday tasks. AI can handle processes like predicting case models, case analysis, automated legal research, and document management and reviews.
Another upside to AI-driven legal systems is that they eliminate risks and human-based errors. AI may not replace lawyers, but attorney candidates who can use AI tools can replace their counterparts who can’t.
Apart from document reviews, AI also enables automation of other legal processes, including:
Young attorney candidates have reported that they prefer remote and hybrid working environments. They desire to work for firms that provide the tech tools to support their work. Law firms must avail the tech tools that enable younger legal professionals to work with enhanced efficiency. Doing that will enable law firms to appeal to the attorney candidates joining the legal industry.
Technology is also changing how firms recruit and interview candidates. But, what role does technology play in legal recruiting? AI-driven solutions can streamline the recruiting process and even eliminate unconscious bias. Still, candidates must know what should appear on a lawyer’s resume to increase their chances of getting hired.
Client preferences and needs have changed. Today, clients expect their lawyers to provide faster and cheaper services without compromising quality. New legal technologies enable attorneys to satisfy clients’ ever-changing needs by personalizing services for enhanced consumer experiences.
Tech helps create positive experiences by providing tools that facilitate timely responses to clients’ queries. AI-driven research software and automated text generation, for instance, allow attorneys to provide clients with timely updates on their cases. Additionally, clients no longer have to wait for long hours on processes like contracts or document reviews. Automation enables lawyers to save time on such tasks. They can dedicate their free time to strengthening client relationships.
Integrating tech tools and solutions in your legal practice is no longer an option, but a need. Lawyers or legal firms that lag behind risk losing business.
In 2012, the American Bar Association (ABA) revised its Model Rule 1.1 on technological competence. The Comment requires attorneys to keep up with new laws and trends in legal practice, including the upsides and downsides of relevant technologies. Consequently, most of the state bar associations have included technological proficiency as a policy in their “legal professional conduct” rules.
With so many tech tools on the market, you might wonder: “What is the best law firm software?” Every attorney should know the following legal software and tools:
PMS facilitates the performance of many tasks, from tracking case timelines and handling billing to coordinating schedules and organizing client information. It allows you to manage all these processes from a single platform. It reduces administrative work, minimizes errors, and saves time.
RunSensible is a highly reputed PMS, suitable for solo practitioners and small and mid-sized firms. It features an easy-to-use user interface (UI), powerful integration capabilities, and customizable workflows. This legal software facilitates seamless case management, built-in CRM for client relationships, and automated billing and invoicing.
Other reliable PMS software includes PracticePanther and Clio Manage. These tools offer robust suites of features, including but not limited to secure client communication protocols, document management, billing, and calendaring.
Flexible working hours and work-from-home arrangements have become more common. Therefore, you must have effective communication and collaboration software to ensure your team members are always updated on a project’s progress to meet deadlines and stay abreast with the workload.
Firms must deploy video conferencing software like Zoom or Microsoft Teams to manage cases and teams remotely. Video conferencing enables direct, real-time video conversations. Video communications are quicker and more insightful than emails, text messages, or online chats. If you can see whoever you’re talking to, it becomes easier to interpret information based on other cues, such as facial expressions.
A critical part of your job as a legal professional is researching information to build your case. Since research can usurp much time, reliable research tools offer quicker access to information.
FastCase is a legal research software that partners with 80+ national, state, and county bar associations to offer reliable definitions and legal information. It enables lawyers to access resourceful legal journals, handbooks, statutes, and case law precedents. Other AI-powered legal research tools you may consider include WestLaw and Arguminer.
The legal practice involves a lot of paperwork. Copies can quickly pile into stacks, increasing the risk of losing crucial case documents. With a document management tool, lawyers can easily store, organize, manage, and update existing documents in real time.
The software enables centralized file storage, automated text updates, and advanced searches for quicker document retrievals. One file management tool is LawCloud, a web-based management platform with integrated Office 365.
Besides document organization, your file management software must have scanning technology that can digitize documents, convert them into searchable PDFs, and file them automatically. When considering a scanning tool, find one with an in-built Optical Character Recognition (OCR) feature that can convert documents into editable texts.
Legal recruiters at Astor Professional Search are available round-the-clock to answer questions regarding essential tech skills that may give you an edge in the legal job market. Our representatives will strive to know your strengths, weaknesses, personality, and interests to advise you on the skills you need to advance your career. Leveraging our candidate-centric approach and vast network in the Illinois legal market, we can match you with the right law firm. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
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