The firm is also a big user of imaging, database and desktop videoconferencing technology as a way to improve efficiency and communication. Using an expert system with a document-assembly engine from Capsoft Development Corp., in Provo, Utah, lawyers can generate contractual agreements on the fly, complete with annotations. For example, the interactive system will walk a junior lawyer who is drafting an international trade agreement through the document-generation process with a series of questions appearing in dialog boxes. Paragraphs within the document are deleted, inserted or modified depending on the answers to the questions. An agreement is generated with the appropriate annotations right on the screen.
T here are a number of reasons technology has taken so long to catch on in the legal world.
At large firms with hundreds of associates, there is often a built-in economic resistance that's difficult to overcome. Traditionally, lawyers bill for their services by the hour. By improving efficiency, technology can take a bite out of revenues. Bartlit Beck has responded by changing its billing processes. A decreasing number of cases are handled on a strictly hourly basis.