What are Attorneys Most Thankful For in Their Practice? Check Out These Five Technologies

Happy Thanksgiving! Join Lawline to discuss the things they are most thankful for in the practice of law.

Surprise, surprise: these are all rooted in technology. Apps, gadgets, and beyond - our faculty are thankful for the various technological advances in the legal industry that help them most in their practices.

1. Paperless Options. Michelle Itkowitz notes that the paperless office has a myriad of advantages. “It reduces rent, reduces mistakes, and makes work quicker. Lawyers should all be paperless!”
2. The Smartphone. Scott Aurnou believes that smartphones offer the “ability to communicate nearly all the time, the constant availability of the Internet in your pocket” and notes that “a 256GB device can store over 19 million pages of text.  All parked in a potential litigant’s or defendant’s pocket. Before the smartphone, this option simply didn't exist.” He also reminds us: “Don't forget to look up once in awhile.”
3. Apps. Todd Kulkin finds one app particularly valuable to his practice because “it helps to organize offshore structures with international clients”: WhatsApp.
4. Online Research and CLE. Research by the books is so cumbersome,” says Kimberly Kalmanson, who thinks legal research at your fingertips is revolutionary. She notes that “online CLE is also enormously helpful.” (And no, we didn’t ask her to say that!)
5. Podcasts. Christopher Loh says the one piece of technology he can’t live without right now is the podcast. For tech podcasts, he likes Reply All and WNYC’s Science Friday; for legal ones, he’s a fan of Slate’s Amicus and Radiolab’s More Perfect. He notes, “while I listen to other podcasts for fun, I think staying current on these makes for a well-rounded tech lawyer.” 

Looking to the future, Christopher also states: “what excites me most about the future are the CRISPRs and blockchains that are waiting around the corner. They not only generate new opportunities for our clients as sources of IP; they also have the potential to greatly enhance quality of life for everyone. So, I’m offering my prospective thanks for what lies in store in 2018 and beyond.”

Catch the full article here!