The experts also agree on the impact of the year 2000 problem. For many law firms, this problem has generated more questions than answers. Press accounts center around computer applications and hardware implemented years ago. The currency of a law firm is the measurement of time, and inaccurate date calculation can have serious repercussions. If so, firms should contact the software developers and ask them about their plans for solving the year 2000 problem.
Many experts suggest that the first step is to determine the scope of the problem in the office.
For computers, the easiest way to do this is simply to set the date and time of your system to January 1, 2000. Of course, perform this test only after backing up your system and during a time when you can allow your system to be down. Once you have set the year to 2000, run programs, noting how they handle date-calculation functions. The results can often be surprising. Initial tests indicate that the program has problems displaying files last modified in the year 2000.