Today's Tech: Lessons For Law Firms From A Tech Company

Take a cue from the technology culture and revamp your law office to provide a more flexible, comfortable, and relaxing environment.

Digital TechnologyI’ve worked for a California-based technology company for more than 4 years now. Last week, as I was returning from one of my quarterly trips to the home office, it occurred to me how different my experiences with this company have been compared to the time I’ve spent working for various legal organizations over the past 2 decades. From its use of technology to facilitate teamwork and communication to fostering a supportive, fun, and flexible work environment, there are a lot of lessons law firms can learn from the way that my employer runs its business.

1. The importance of technology

As a technology company, it’s not surprising that my employer uses cutting-edge technology across the board. Cloud-based software is used for every function, from email, HR, internal collaboration, and more. The software used by employees for their various functions is nearly always simple and intuitive, and in many cases offers the option of a mobile app, as well. The workplace is essentially paperless and printers are rarely used. While there is a fax machine, it was unplugged when I visited the San Diego office last week.

Lawyers can learn from this model and take steps to move towards a paperless law firm (or at least one that uses significantly less paper) and use legal software that improves efficiency. Consider incorporating tools to streamline the law firm’s processes by automating document creation and create workflows that automatically track deadlines, to-dos, and statutes of limitations. Use mobile apps to more easily track and capture billable time and use software to improve the firm’s intake and communications features, both internally and externally (think client portals), thus saving time by reducing data entry redundancies and miscommunications.

2. The importance of teamwork

Teamwork was not a familiar concept for me when I started my job. At my previous legal positions, most lawyers worked alone or at the behest of a partner. Sure we bounced ideas off of each other and sometimes asked other lawyers for advice, but we rarely worked together as a team on any given case.

As a result, working on a team was a new experience for me. At first, it felt a bit strange to be a part of a team with so many people and moving parts. But over time, I grew to like the concept and now appreciate its many benefits, including the sense of camaraderie that is inherent in teamwork.

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Being part of a team means that each team member contributes different pieces of the puzzle, all of which are important, with the end goal being happy customers (or clients, as is the case for law firms).  By incorporating more of a sense of teamwork into their law firms, lawyers can likewise reap the benefits of group efforts focused on the long haul rather than short term decisions (and arguably shortsighted ones) made with the end goal being the advancement of a single person.

3. The importance of communication

Communicating clearly is the heart of any business. That’s why my company uses an assortment of tools to facilitate communication within and across teams. Our company has multiples offices located in different geographical regions and this only increases the need to be able to communicate quickly and clearly. That’s why we use, among others, video conferencing software, web-based interoffice messaging software, and online project management software. All of these tools make it possible for us to instantly communicate and collaborate anytime, from anywhere.

In many law firms, the lone wolf approach to practicing law results in a lack of communication and increased misunderstandings. But that problem can be solved by incorporating better communication tools into your practice. One of the best ways to do this is to utilize web-based portals, which are built into many law practice management software programs. These portals are incredibly valuable tools for law firms because they allow lawyers to collaborate with colleagues, thus improving client service by increasing efficiency and streamlining communication. Web-based portals also simplify client communication by providing your clients with secure, instantaneous access to information about their case.

4. The importance of flexibility

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Another factor that makes my job so enjoyable is the flexibility that my employer provides its employees. So for example, when one of our team members wasn’t feeling well earlier this week, she stayed home, but worked remotely from home using the web-conferencing tools discussed above. Similarly, another team member recently had a family emergency that required him to travel out of state for more than a week, but he was likewise able to check in as needed.

And, when a team member went out on maternity leave, rather than offloading all of her work onto other team members, which is what occurred when I took maternity leave while working for a law firm, the company hired a temporary employee to cover her duties. By doing so, our colleague’s workload was sufficiently covered and other employees didn’t harbor resentment because of her absence. 

Law firms could learn from these examples. Providing employees with greater flexibility and understanding along with tools to facilitate communication from any location leads to happier, more satisfied employees and reduces employee burnout.

5. The importance of a supportive work environment

Finally, my employer provides an incredible work environment. Employees have access to a fully stocked kitchen, including an assortment of snacks and drinks. Lunches are often provided during team meetings or events. There are weekly yoga classes offered onsite and convertible standing desks are the norm. Dogs are also allowed and employees often take advantage of the opportunity to bring their furry friends into work with them. There are multiple lounge areas with couches, bean bags, foosball tables, ping pong tables, and more. And employees receive public recognition for their achievements on a regular basis.

Granted it’s a California technology company and these types of amenities are more common in the technology space, but law firms could likewise follow suit.  For starters, you can modify your firm’s work environment to make it easier for you and your employees to relax and take breaks. Establish a lounge area with couches that is off limits to clients and out of sight. Consider allowing employees to occasionally bring dogs into the office. It’s not unheard of; I’m aware of a Public Defender’s Office that permit dogs in attorneys’ offices.

So take my advice: take a cue from the technology culture and revamp your law office to provide a more flexible, comfortable, and relaxing environment — one that encourages all employees take breaks and re-energize as needed. Use technology to open up the lines of communication and encourage teamwork. Take steps to ensure that your law firm is an enjoyable place to work. Your employees — and your firm’s bottom line — will thank you.


Niki BlackNicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney and the Legal Technology Evangelist at MyCase, web-based law practice management software. She’s been blogging since 2005, has written a weekly column for the Daily Record since 2007, is the author of Cloud Computing for Lawyers, co-authors Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier, and co-authors Criminal Law in New York. She’s easily distracted by the potential of bright and shiny tech gadgets, along with good food and wine. You can follow her on Twitter at@nikiblack and she can be reached at niki.black@mycase.com.

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