Our involvement in the legaltech industry makes us keenly aware of how slow the legal industry is to adapt to digital technologies. As an industry with traditional practices so deeply ingrained in day-to-day operations, the legal sector has a hard time embracing new ways of doing things. However, we see some emerging trends that give us reason to believe the digital transformation has already begun.
A number of those trends are described briefly below. Needless to say, the NuLaw case management software for lawyers can be an integral part of helping your law firm make the transition from legacy systems to the digital age.
Moving Data to the Cloud
Cloud computing was not well-received when it was first introduced more than a decade ago. Thanks to improvements in security and software as a service (SaaS) over the years, the cloud is being embraced by nearly every sector of business today. The legal sector is gradually getting on board as well.
We expect greater cloud adoption to influence the practical aspects of law in 2019 and beyond. The cloud gives attorneys greater access to data from virtually anywhere they have an internet connection. Furthermore, real-time access means data can be accessed, shared, and modified without having to be in the office.
Case Management Software Goes Mobile
One of the peripheral benefits of cloud computing is that it makes mobility easier. You can see that with NuLaw. A good case management software package offering 100% mobility maximizes all the benefits of the cloud for attorneys, clerks, and even back office staff. We expect mobility to make huge inroads within the legal sector in 2019.
Virtual Case Management is Growing
New tools encouraging secure communications between attorneys and clients are already transforming the way cases are managed. We suspect this will lead to more virtual case management scenarios wherein attorneys and their clients never actually meet face-to-face. Everything is handled online. Though we do not expect to see it in 2019, virtual case management could eventually lead to entire law firms that do everything online rather than actually occupying a physical office.
Analytics Are Improving Case Acquisition
One of the things we are most proud about in regard to the NuLaw case management software for lawyers is its ability to deliver qualifying compiled cases directly to a law office. NuLaw relies on numerous technologies to deliver this function, not the least of which are advanced analytics capabilities. Analytics can improve case acquisition through deep learning, artificial intelligence, and automation.
Analytics Are Improving Performance
Advanced analytics are equally important for measuring and improving law firm performance. Just like and SEO marketer relies on analytics to improve the performance of a given website, NuLaw and packages like ours give law firms critical analytics data to help them improve what they do.
Electronic Discovery Catching On
We are not exactly sure where electronic discovery (e-discovery) will be at the end of 2019, but we do know is catching on quickly. eDiscovery is transforming the discovery process by introducing automation and deep learning to the equation. eDiscovery tools can now analyze documents and extract critical data points far more quickly and efficiently than human beings. This will only improve the discovery process in the coming year.
This year could be a banner year for not only the legaltech industry as a whole, but also for the development of case management software for lawyers. We see some trends that indicate the transition from legacy systems to digital is picking up speed. It will be interesting to see where we are a year from now.