Council: access to capital post-Clementi is likely to drive investment in IT, especially innovative on-line services, says paper


The Law Society Council last month approved a new e-strategy amid warnings that solicitors' firms that fail to adapt to developments in IT could find themselves out of business within two or three years.


The strategy paper put before council warned of the likely upheaval as a result of the implementation of the recommendations in the Clementi review and a flurry of government e-business initiatives.


It said: 'Many firms could be on the brink of their greatest challenge: new business practices driven by the continuing information technology revolution and the introduction of alternative business structures...


'Post-Clementi, access to capital is likely to drive investment in IT and particularly investment in innovative on-line services with supporting back-end services.'


The paper suggested that the biggest challenge for law firms is likely to be provided by e-government, with initiatives from the Legal Services Commission, Criminal Justice Information Technology (CJIT) and the Land Registry 'only the tip of the iceberg'.


Under the e-strategy, the Society will focus on three key areas: supporting 'priority' adopters of IT; encouraging solicitors to become more confident users; and ensuring decision-makers in firms are well-informed.


The so-called priority adopters include 'the small percentage of the smallest firms' that are not making effective use of IT, as well as firms practising in areas such as criminal law and conveyancing.


Attempts will be made to raise awareness among these firms of the benefits of using IT, by providing guidance and support alongside conferences and training.


The Law Society also plans to set up a high-level steering group involving senior members of the judiciary, the bar and the civil service.


Its programme of activities will include the launch this year of a nationwide programme of e-business events in collaboration with government departments and bodies such as the Land Registry.


Law Society chief executive Janet Paraskeva said: 'The e-strategy provides a framework for the Law Society to influence the shape of major government IT initiatives like e-conveyancing and CJIT on behalf of solicitors.


'No one should underestimate the changes ahead,' she added.


'In many areas of practice, within two to three years, being off-line could mean being out of business.'


The e-strategy was given the green light as research suggested an increasing sophistication in how solicitors use IT.


The Society's Omnibus survey, conducted in January this year, found that 90% of fee-earners in firms with less than ten partners now have a PC on their desk, up from 49% in 2002. Some 86% of sole practitioners have their own PC, while only 3% have no access.


Meanwhile nearly 50% said their use of e-mail had increased 'a lot' in the past 12 months. Around 80% of solicitors in private practice now work in a firm with its own Web site.


But Gazette IT columnist Charles Christian warned that the use of IT by sole practitioners and small firms was probably overestimated and that using technology effectively - not just having it in place - is key.


He said: 'There are far too many lawyers who still do not use technology properly - they just use their IT for sticking on Post-it notes.'


Mr Christian called for IT training and literacy skills to be put onto the agenda for legal education.