Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 10

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

YOUR
FIRM'S
IT
PLAN
Don't Set It & Forget It
By Jeffrey S. Rovner

Kelly Serfoss

C

lients want
two things
when they
hire a law firm:
quality representation and
value. Law firms
rely on information technology to
deliver both.
Quality representation requires each lawyer to bring
his or her firm's collective knowledge to bear on
every engagement. Knowledge management technologies, including search tools and expertise

locators, make that possible. Effectively representing
clients also requires lawyers to exploit relevant information beyond their firm for key insights, which are
now provided by online research databases that are
increasingly powered by data analytics technology
and natural language processing.
Value means different things to different clients, but
most would agree that a key ingredient is efficiency:
learning to deliver the same work in less time, and at
lower cost. While technology has always been central
to efficiency, emerging technologies such as
machine learning are raising efficiency to new
heights.
Of course, technology cannot generate quality
and value unless it is used. Encouraging the
adoption of a new technology in a law firm can
sometimes feel like pushing a heavy boulder up a
steep hill. Therefore, it is critical to study the reasons

why some technologies succeed with little or
no persuasion, while others fail despite substantial
effort. Firms have much to learn from the widespread popularity of online shopping sites and
mobile applications. Not only are such technologies
successful, but they achieved their success with
relatively little training or marketing.
Maintaining a robust IT environment is a cat-andmouse game with multiple goals: functionality,
convenience, mobility, reliability, affordability,
innovation, and security. Each of these goals is
constantly being redefined, so an IT strategy must
evolve with them. Only through that evolution
can a firm improve on its promise to deliver quality
representation and value to its clients.
Jeffrey S. Rovner is managing director for information
at O'Melveny & Myers LLP.

Sapperstein & Associates, LLC
Real Estate Appraisers * Consultants * Due Diligence and Valuation Specialists

Gary L Sapperstein, MAI, SRPA, MRICS

301-654-0214
appraisal@sapperstein.net
Established 1982

7920 Norfolk Ave, Ste, 220, Bethesda, MD 20814

Serving all of Maryland, including Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia

Appraisal Services
*
*
*
*
*
*

For Lending Purposes
Real estate portfolios
Corporate realty assets
Fair annual rental studies
Valuation of underlying assets for partnership purposes

Jeffrey Rovner; Kelly Serfoss



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Washington Lawyer - December 2017

Your Voice
From Our President
Our Membership
Career & Professional Development
Practice Management
Calendar of Events
Government & Gavel
Feature: 50 Years of Space Law
Feature: The Resurrection of Civics Class
Feature: Privacy in the Digital Age
Feature: AI & The Legal Workplace
Member Spotlight
Global & Domestic Outlook
Worth Reading
Media Bytes
Attorney Briefs
Ask the Ethics Experts
Associates Angle
Disciplinary Summaries
The Pro Bono Effect
Community & Connections
Last Word
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Cover1
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Cover2
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 1
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 2
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 3
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 4
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Your Voice
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - From Our President
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 7
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Our Membership
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Career & Professional Development
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Practice Management
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 11
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Calendar of Events
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 13
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Government & Gavel
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 15
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Feature: 50 Years of Space Law
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 17
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 18
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 19
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 20
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 21
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Feature: The Resurrection of Civics Class
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 23
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 24
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 25
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Feature: Privacy in the Digital Age
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 27
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 28
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 29
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Feature: AI & The Legal Workplace
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 31
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 32
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 33
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Member Spotlight
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 35
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Global & Domestic Outlook
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 37
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Worth Reading
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Media Bytes
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Attorney Briefs
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Ask the Ethics Experts
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Associates Angle
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Disciplinary Summaries
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - The Pro Bono Effect
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 45
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Community & Connections
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 47
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Last Word
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Cover3
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Cover4
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