In a five-day International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) conference, attendees from law firms and technology companies stressed that the legal profession’s future is uncertain, due to COVID-19. Impact
In his keynote speech, Richard Punt, the managing director of Thomson Reuters, addressed the unforeseen challenges the legal profession is facing during the pandemic. Punt said that law firms’ focus during the pandemic, and in the coming years, will be on the shift to online platforms. Punt does not think that courts will move trials to online platforms, as there was a lot of pushback on that. However, he thinks that moving other litigation stages to online platforms is possible and will probably remain online even after the pandemic.
Additionally, representatives from Litera and AbacusNext, which are companies that provide technological solutions, have reiterated the importance for companies to have a flexible five-year strategy plan. Companies have learned that flexibility is what law firms need to provide for their clients. Notably, Litera and AbacusNext have seen a growth in their software sales, which probably means that law firms have already shifted their focus to online platforms.
In general, the atmosphere in the conference was that no one has a clear idea as to where the legal profession is going. However, there was a general understanding that more remote litigation proceedings and meetings will be held. Thus, companies and firms should focus on preparing for this shift.
For more details about the conference, click here.
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