Technology is taking over!

08/04/2008

It's certainly not news to the public that technology has always played a significant role in law. From computer records, to processing files, to creating databases, most good lawyers have some vague notion of the presence of various technologies in their clients' lives and the cases of their clients. However, in recent years, we have seen a radical boom in technology, forcing lawyers to keep up or opt out of cases involving high tech conditions. Not enough lawyers are combining legal knowledge with technological knowledge. With the huge amount of electronically stored evidence these days, it's required to do so. This apparently sudden shift has come as a surprise to many lawyers. Before, a lawyer could perfect a case with minimal knowledge of technology, but now e-discovery is critical in many cases, especially in those involving electronic evidence. Many offices are taking it upon themselves to hire a lawyer who specializes in e-discovery for specific cases, but why not find a lawyer who has the ability to do it all? E-discovery is only going to continue to expand and gather more importance as our society progresses. It may prove to be a problem if a lawyer is dependent on too many outsiders. He will no longer be only responsible for himself, but for everything he says or uses based upon his e-discovery lawyer's advice and findings. With such a wide range of data that could be used as evidence, it can be hard to understand how to sort through each form of digital information. Aside from basic e-mails, there are voice messages, pictures, IMs, back up drives, POP3 accounts, etc. Failure to keep oneself up to date on technology has a negative impact on the lawyer's career as well as the outcome of their clients. Be sure that the person that you are trusting with your case is both technologically savvy and willing to stay afloat in our ever changing world.

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