Keyed into IT lessons

Education will be one of the themes of this year's solicitors exhibition, reports Andrew Towler

The techno-legal highlight of the year approaches again with the Gazette-sponsored Solicitors 2002 exhibition on the 13-14 March.The legal IT showcase will be held at the NEC in Birmingham for the fifth consecutive year, but this time the event has a revised format and new organisers - American Lawyer Media (ALM) and Imark Communications.ALM director Henry Dicker says: 'We saw it as a show with great potential that wasn't being fully realised.

We have made a few subtle changes - including condensing the show from three to two days - and we are excited by the reaction so far.'In addition to the usual array of IT and other legal services, exhibitors with new products, promotions and demonstrations, this year's event will also feature six keynote speeches across the two days.In a separate section of the hall, legal IT experts will give educational addresses on subjects including practice development using technology, e-commerce initiatives for legal aid firms, and implementing an IT system.

Legal IT consultant Charles Christian, chairman of the programme and one of the speakers, says: 'This is the first time there has been a co-ordinated education programme at the exhibition that doesn't feature somebody with a commercial axe to grind.

It is a chance for delegates to get away from all the product-orientated stuff and into the general business context behind IT.' At least 2,000 delegates are expected to attend from all over the country - one of the advantages of having the event in Birmingham.

According to Mr Christian, the show has a strong attraction for smaller firms which are looking to take the leap into a technology- minded workplace.

Thus a high percentage of lawyers attend, as 'partners make the financial decisions in firms of this size - not IT managers'.Good news for the 40 or so IT exhibitors at the show is that they are more likely to make a sale now that technology is becoming an everyday part of running a law firm.

Mr Christian says: 'The novelty value of IT has gone now.

People are going to exhibitions because they want to buy something that can make life easier and more efficient.' Among the products on offer in a fortnight's time that will be hoping to do just that are:l Addressing the problem ofe-mail security, Deltaseal Software will launch Solicitrack, a tracking system that integrates with firms' e-mail systems;l Peapod Solutions unveils products including Casedocs, a document filing and printing system for firms with more than 50 users.

Also on show will be the company's secure Internet system, Securedox2, for sending sensitive documents and forms via the Web;l Among the ever-popular case and practice management systems on show will be the latest version of Evolution from AIM; Eclipse Legal's new criminal and conveyancing system; Solicitec's V7 version of SolCase, featuring a low-cost matter management option; and the latest Practice Manager software with built-in contract relationship management, from Solicitors Own Software;l Amicus will be showcasing Attorney V and PCLaw 5.5, both incorporating new features.

Attorney V is new to the UK and includes a library feature bringing together all research and documentation, e-mail integration, and Outlook synchronisation;l The national network of solicitors, LawGroup, is launching Extranet knowledge management and business development products, called Charter and Law Financial Services, and Conveyancing Direct; l Legal publisher Sweet & Maxwell will be displaying its updated vertical on-line information services on crime, corporate business, landlord and tenant, civil procedure, human rights and intellectual property;l Voicepath, the customised dictation service provider, will be showcasing its remote transcription, integrated dictation workflow and dictation workflow management services;l A debt recovery package called Debtime SQL is to be launched by Linetime.

It is available as a stand-alone product or fully integrated with the company's case management system, Liberate, and;l MSS will be demonstrating the latest addition to its AlphaLAW-vantage portfolio - the Pocket Partner.

This hand-held case activity entry and tracking system runs on a Compaq iPAQ pocket PC, which is ideal for fee-earners who are constantly on the move.