Introduction

The message in the last several years has been to buy computers and software, to network them together and, somehow, they will mysteriously provide you with a competitive edge. This message hasn’t lived up to our expectations. Why? More computers do not, necessarily, equal greater strength. The old adage of “strength in numbers” does not apply to the acquisition of computers. The sales pitch implied that all you had to do was buy the product. The problem is that they did not sell you the “lawyering process” and “firm process” with the computer. The lawyering process is within you. That process has to be applied towards the software and hardware on a professional level. It requires a new chemistry of thought. You have to look inward to apply the process to the computerization of your practice. The capabilities of the hardware and software are present today. What is required from you is an open, inquiring mind and a desire to apply this technology.

The focus of this section will be the how to’s of implementing technology and a technology culture in the firm. The prior sections on infrastructure and telecommunications explored the many issues affecting software, hardware, networking and the Internet. All of these sections need to operate in harmony to realize the huge potential for the “virtual law firm” that may one day be a reality for your organization.