Natalie Munroe
Oct 12, 2018
Clients are driving the need for change in the business law environment – expecting their lawyers to adopt legal technology innovations that will result in more cost-effective solutions – but are happy to have external counsel take the initiative in implementing those technologies, according to an article by Julius Melnitzer in Lexpert Magazine. And while many firms are good at talking the talk where legal tech is concerned, few are actually implementing the changes required to make a real difference. Melnitzer reviews the efforts of a number of firms that are embracing technology and incorporating it into their daily processes, including Osler’s three-pronged approach to ensuring its lawyers are technologically competent.
As Natalie Munroe, Head, Osler Works – Transactional, explains in the article, first the firm gives presentations on the technology available in-house: “The presentations are basically an introduction to the software’s capability and how to use it with the objective of demonstrating how to incorporate it into practice,” she says.
Then, training on the technology is integrated into substantive training. “For example, in due diligence training, we also talk about the technology that is used to support due diligence,” she continues. “We don’t start with tech, rather we start with the problem that clients want us to solve. So when we train folks, we make sure they understand the service that the tech is supporting.”
The third step is hands-on training that focuses on how the firm “can incorporate technology and alternative services providers to best meet the clients’ needs.”
Learn more about Osler’s artificial intelligence initiatives by reading Julius Melnitzer’s full article “Meeting the AI challenge” in the September/October 2018 issue of Lexpert Magazine.