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Virtual Intelligence | VQ Knowledge and Strategy Forum 2012Welcome to the future of legal service on 14 November 2012 in Stockholm This year VQ and Regi combine their annual events VQ Knowledge an…0
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#VQForum trending on Twitter …..
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Amazing! #VQForum top trending Twitter hash tag globally today! Thank you all tweeters and live bloggers for your… http://fb.me/CCfvQsxy -
#VQForum now top trending Twitter hash tag globally – #legalit now more popular than #Christmas or #Rhianna -
Follow live tweeting tomorrow of SOLD OUT legal strategy event #VQForum with @HackettInHouse @ChristianUncut @ChrisBullEdge @dmfitch
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Memories of the day
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“Thought leader experts” is what we need to be – Annette Magnusson – #VQForum -
Wrapping up at #VQForum – there is a need to change – and in order to do it we have to have “the right people on the bus”
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Quote of the day from @oestring at #VQForum “If I see a lawyer with a dictataphone on his desk, I’m not going to hire him.” #legalit
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Real strategy lies not in figurg out what to do, but in devisg ways to ensure that we do more of what we should do. David Maister #VQForum -
ANNETTE MAGNUSSON, Secretary General of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, opens the conference.
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Annette Magnusson, SCC starts off #VQForum with keynote & talks about „the perfect storm“ that legal businesses are facing
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Thank you @AnnetteMagnusso for a perfect intro of the perfect storm facing legal business at #VQForum
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Keynote by SUSAN HACKETT
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Fantastic keynote by @HackettInHouse at #VQForum -
listening to extremely interesting presentation by @HackettInHouse at #VQForum: law firm business model fits lawyers not clients
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Susan Hackett on “The Urgent vs. The Important”: Urgent = short term fees & costs; Important = long term value & results #VQForum -
The challenge – develop the strategy for change – leverage firm knowledge to implement it – Susan Hackett #VQForum
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85% of partners think clients love them but only 35% of clients would recommend them – Susan Hackett #VQForum
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Lawyer compensation based on lawyer activity not client results – Susan Hackett #VQForum
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A new norm emerging – the economics of law firm practice – Susan Hackett #VQForum
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#VQForum Law firms need to be partnering with their business clients in the New Normal – good point made by@HackettInHouse
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Law firms have to be lowering cost, improving predictability and control – Susan Hackett #VQForum
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Need to look at shifting the work internally (or externally) based on value – Susan Hackett #VQForum
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Still a real challenge unbundling the work to identify who should be performing different tasks – Susan Hackett #VQForum
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Important for firms to think long, act incrementally and take the lead – Susan Hackett #VQForum
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Great keynote by @HackettInHouse – “Lawyers will realise that technology is the best tool they’ve got!” #VQForum
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VD-bloggens realtidsrapportering från VQ Forum: http://www.vd-blogg.se/the-new-normal-susan-hackett http://fb.me/2kR9JqYo1
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Artikel från VQ Forum med huvudtalaren Susan Hacketts budskap om advokaternas nya verklighet:… http://fb.me/1N2qgs09o
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CHARLES CHRISTIAN, CEO and Editor-In-Chief of Legal Technology, talks about the “more for less challenge”
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Now the “more for less challenge” by @ChristianUncut – technology is a tool for implementing a strategy…NOT the strategy itself! #VQForum
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@ChristianUncut #VQForum: the failure of most systems isn’t a failure of tech, but of poor implementation or inconsistent adoptn
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@ChristianUncut #VQForum: P-C-P-C T … People, Culture, Process, Change, Then Technology: if you do it the opp way, you’ll fail.
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Look at your organisations people, culture, process and change before you get to technology – Charles Christian #VQForum
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Agree with @ChristianUncut that buying IT is not a strategy. We have to understand requirements and problems we’re trying to solve #VQForum
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@ChristianUncut #VQForum: again, understanding work flow & process, as well as the result you wish to drive, is what stymies most lawyers.
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Deconstructing legal service is important (a practical point is that lawyers find that analysis difficult to do) #VQForum
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.@ChristianUncut “Let’s talk about socks”…. law is all about business – pricing & branding. know your market! #VQForum
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@christianuncut – if you can do a 6 hour job in 2 hours, do you bill for 2 hours or bill for the 6 hour value? #VQForum #legalit -
@ChristianUncut #VQForum: he’s right – savings in greater lawyer efficiency are not just monetary: there’s value in going home for dinner.
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@ChristianUncut #VQForum: knowledge management suffers from title soup – the job is defined and rolles performed differently at many firms
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@ChristianUncut #VQForum: lawyers have such a poor grasp of the finances of their practices that they can’t value their work’s worth
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@ChristianUncut at #VQForum : a good case management system is also a risk & KM management system!
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Thank you @ChristianUncut for a great overview of “more for less” legal tech challenges – buying an IT system is not a Strategy at #VQForum
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Kort sammandrag av Charles Christians föredrag på #vqforum http://bit.ly/SneinS -
a few panels on the “more for less challenge” …
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Anne-Marie Ovin – CIO of Vinge: introduced by Christian as having said that “CIO” at a large law firm stands for Career Is Over #VQForum
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Eric Hunter- #VQForum – sharing the challenges of integrating SocMed in firms: it’s not all a fairy tale marriage: lots of challenges
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Eric Hunter- #VQForum: Mining big data is evolvg art form: even if you can tie the info together, you still have to know how to use it.
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Eric Hunter- #VQForum – Astonishing efficiency increases happen when people adopt (organically) the colloboration of shared circles
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Eric Hunter- #VQForum: Facebook was an interestg excptn to rule: the technology came before the users defined need
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@ #VQForum: Erick Hunter: using SocMed w/in firms to drive collaboration, marketg, better workflows by understndg big data/behaviors
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Thank you @thelihunter for an inspiring presentation on the huge efficiency gaines with social platforms plus challenges at #VQForum
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#VQForum – selling more for less: conclusions … KM is virtual so it can be used by any team at any time – draws people together.
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CHRIS BULL, Edge International, & DAVID FITCH, Director of Knowledge Management at Latham & Watkins LLP, on legal market trends
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Now @ChrisBullEdge on Need for change – lawyers are expected to give same type of service as other businesses #VQForum
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@ChrisBullEdge #VQForum: The legal product / package – not an issue of commoditization, but of capturing a distinguishing trait of the firm
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@ChrisBullEdge #VQForum: it is much easier to deliver legal services same-day than it is to deliver a TV same-day from an online order.
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“Branding is essential” Chris Bull on how to succeed in the changing legal industry #vqforum
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Chris Bull at #VQForum – the Quality Solicitors (UK) ad theme music made the iTunes Top 50 – audience laughs
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Chris Bull at #VQForum – the New Normal for law firms is everyone else’s Old Normal
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“It’s nice to be special. But it’s not nice to be ‘special’ in the wrong way. ” Chris Bull about the changing legal market. #vqforum
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Lawyers “less special” these days – factors including sustained downturn, technology and social change – Chris Bull #VQForum
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@ChrisBullEdge #VQForum: it’s only a “New Normal” to the legal profession … it’s standd business practice for everyone else.
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Sammanfattning av Chris Bulls presentation på #vqforum http://bit.ly/SMg7v8
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DAVID FITCH, Director of Knowledge Management at Latham & Watkins LLP
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@dmfitch #VQForum: We can argue about what’s good for you vs me, but we can’t hide from the fact that we all have to change.
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@dmfitch #VQForum: 5 KM buildg blocks: current awareness, capturing work product, standardizing, guidance how-tos, training to task.
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@dmfitch #VQForum: KM allows firms to deliver better pricing without compromising on quality.
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@dmfitch #VQForum: KM can help all the rotating economic factors in today’s firms: profitability, leverage, prices/rates, staffing …
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CARL ÖSTRING, General Counsel at Traction
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Oestring: also recommends lawyers read ‘From Good To Great’ Jim Collins – dominate your niche #VQForum -
#vqforum if you are going to survive as a company find ‘your hedgehog’ strive to dominate your niche. -
Carl Ostring on pricing: price is based only in part on cost, and partly on what the thing is worth and what people will pay. #VQForum
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Carl Ostring, CLO of Traction, recommends reading “The Undercover Economist” (Tim Harford) about what stuff really costs. #VQForum
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Martin Salomon on Regi’s survey 2012 – Årets advokatbyrå
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GCs still find it difficult to keep updated on relevant legal issues – opportunity for firms to help here – Regi – Martin Salomon #VQForum
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Nutshell – significant opportunity to serve BETWEEN transactions by staying in contact and following up – Regi – Martin Salomon #VQForum
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#vqforum start small with follow ups with clients as your lawyers need to be trained in handling this. – salomon
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Proactively create opportunities to meet and present lawyers who are good and suitable for the client – Regi – Martin Salomon #VQForum
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Be part of the client’s strategies and business, have more conversations and follow-up – Regi – Martin Salomon #VQForum
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#VQForum – Martin Salomon/Regi offers the survey #s: do the numbers collected cross market mean as much as the numbers collected by you?
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Client satisfaction is higher for boutique firms. #VQforum
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Law firms have some way to go to demonstrate delivery of price worthy services – Regi – Martin Salomon #VQForum
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Sammanställning av höjdpunkter från Martin Salomons dragning på #VQforum http://bit.ly/TJ7C5b
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Panel with SUSAN HACKETT, CHRIS BULL & DAVID FITCH
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#VQForum Panel discussion on client care & client-law firm relationship. Encouraged: follow up between meetings/transanctions! Be proactive
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#vqforum @chrisbulledge says clients said ‘ I wish I knew you did this type of work’ after the client went to firm down the road.
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What should clients choose – the lawyer or the firm? @HackettInHouse – “Should be focused on the firm-firm who delivers service” #VQForum
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I choose persons, not firms. / Carl Östring #VQforum
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David Fitch – if you add value to a CC thru an education seminar then you are adding real value #VQForum
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Thank you VQ & Regi for a fantastic conference!
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Tack @forsandree för fantastisk realtidsrapportering från #VQForum på VD-bloggen http://www.vd-blogg.se/
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Tack @VQab för bra konferens! #VQforum
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#VQForum Fantastic speakers at today’s conference and a privilege to be part of the team. Thank you Ann & Helena. -
Thank you @HackettInHouse @dmfitch @JohnGrimley @iinek @pamstorr @forsandree for insightful comments from #VQForum Top trending globally!
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Thank you @netlawmedia @janeitlegal @lawtechfutures @ChristianUncut for excellent coverage of #VQForum – top trending tweet globally today!
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VQ Forum was an awesome success. Keynote speaker Susan Hackett
@HackettInHouse was brilliant #vqforum -
Ikväll delar vi ut pris till årets advokatbyrå. Grattis till Magnusson Advokatbyrå och Danowsky & Partners! #VQforum http://pic.twitter.com/bjwaZTEl
Isaac Asimov on education and learning
1988 Bill Moyers’ interview with Isaac Asimov, rather beautiful thoughts on learning and education.
HT @brainpicker
Quote of the month: Concepts and keywords
After teaching legal information retrieval to first year law students for a few weeks, I started thinking about how we actually search for legal sources. Barbara Bintliff’s thoughts were very interesting in this regard:
Legal research no longer requires beginning with knowledge of the law because the emphasis of electronic research is on facts and keywords, not legal concepts. Research now is truly a mechanical process of entering factual words into a database or search engine and retrieving results. These research results appear to support the realists’ claims that law has no internal consistency.
Barbara Bintliff, Context and legal research, Law Library Journal, Volume 99, Issue 2, 2007, pp 249–266
I still believe that there is an inherent structure in law, though invisible and hidden. Or at least the quest for law as a coherent, linked and consistent framework of rules. As the trend for simple and fast search continues, however, we go straight for the treasure hunt, the easy picked keywords that come to mind. We expect search engines to suggest results for us, instead of trying to identify the most appropriate keywords first.
Thinking more about the concepts than the actual facts will be one of the main challenges of legal information retrieval in the next years. If human cannot translate concepts into keywords, maybe computers can?
See also the earlier quotes of the month:
Plagiarism as tension between creativity and sharing
Excellent post on The Plagiarism Perplex by Barbara Fister on plagiarism and the grey area between creativity and sharing, writing and reading:
There is an extraordinary tension in our culture between individual creativity and the creative community, between originality and a shared body of knowledge, between the acts of reading culture and writing culture. And our students are caught in the middle.
In reality, culture exists in that in-between space where things are shared. When we read, we inscribe what we read with our own meaning. When we write, we draw inspiration from all of the things we have read; they follow our words like shadows thrown behind us. When we come up with a new idea, we’ve built it on ideas that others have already had and hope our ideas become a platform for new construction. We are never entirely alone, and our ideas are never entirely original.
The tension between creativity and sharing, individual and group work sometimes confuses students:
I suspect a large part of the problem is that we send such mixed messages to students. You may hate group work, but it will prepare you for the reality of the workplace – but when we tell you to work alone, don’t discuss the test or homework problems with anybody else or face severe punishment. When you write a paper, your work must be original – but back up every point by quoting someone else who thought of it first. Develop your own voice as a writer – but try to sound as much like us as possible.
Highly recommended read for teachers and students alike. Complete post available at The Plagiarism Perplex | Inside Higher Ed.
Legal education as an app
As apps increasingly find their way into everyday life, they also accompany students, lawyers and teachers in their everyday tasks. The idea of Law as an App can certainly help to create better learning and professional environments if applied in the right way.
Pam Storr and I recently published a blog post on apps in legal education on VoxPopuLII.
We identified three aspects that are currently lacking in legal education – namely identifying and managing risks, interaction between different areas of law, and proactive problem-based learning – and suggested three ways to tackle these challenges:
- Legal aspects of apps: by using apps as objects students have to work with different subject fields within law in order to ensure a particular app fulfils potential legal requirements, adding proactiveness and problem-based learning to their education.
- Law’s implementation in apps challenges the students to think about how law can be implemented into everyday life and how it could help users, citizens and consumers to avoid legal pitfalls, thereby tackling all three of the above mentioned aspects.
- Legal education as an app provides the students with a companion throughout their legal studies, allowing them to make connections between different areas of law and increases the interactiveness of law studies; depending on the design of the app elements of risk and proactiveness could also be included.
We should note here, that we understand the term app rather broadly and do not refer to a particular platform or technology. In order to ensure equal access for students and teachers alike, the app or service should of course be available on all – or at least the most common – platforms and devices.
Pam & I will further attempt the implementation of the first two approaches in the Master Programme in Law and IT this year. We will keep you up-to-date on our experience and successfulness.
You can read the full blog post here.
[NB]: If you are interested in the topic Law as an App, here are some more resources:
- Jason Wilson; I Am Now an App™; Slaw, 28 September 2011
- Christine Kirchberger & Pam Storr, LaaS – Law as a Service, Lov&Data Nr. 4/2011
- Christine Kirchberger & Pam Storr, blog post Law as a Service?, Blawblaw, 30 March 2012
- Christine Kirchberger, blog post Law as an app, 25 January 2012
Context goes mobile
It seems context is not only a buzzword within information retrieval:
One of the hottest concepts in mobile right now is the idea of context.
The thought process goes something like this: because the modern smartphone comes equipped with all kinds of sensors, is always on, and tends to be touched by its owner quite frequently, mobile app developers have an opportunity to learn from all these implicit and explicit cues. Taken together, elements like location, time, velocity, behavior, etc. can begin to paint a picture of the exact context of the moment.
As a software developer, if you can establish context, you can do all kinds of cool things around delivering entertaining or useful content or functionality that will be appreciated by the user at that particular moment of time.
In a nutshell, this is the promise of mobile. You can provide experiences that were simply not possible when the desktop was the primary computing device.
The poster child example of this sort of interaction is called geofencing, and uses a location trigger.
While location as such already represents contextual information, the next step from geofencing is
“Chronofencing” – the delivery of contextually important information based on a time trigger. Chronofences differ from calendar alerts in that they don’t alert you to the event itself – crucially, they provide additional information, from beyond your calendar, that may be useful to you at that moment.
Chronofencing, properly executed, has the potential to fulfill the promise of delivering the right info to the right people at the right moment – in a way that geofencing never could.
Source: Context and the Calendar: An Introduction to Chronofencing http://tnw.to/d4QQ via @TNWinsider 9 September 2012
This development could certainly be of interest for legal information retrieval and delivery of legal services in general. We are talking law as an app nevertheless …..
Quote of the month: Legal information retrieval vs jigsaw puzzles
Though there are different theories on why people search for information – suggesting uncertainty, satisfying a goal or simple curiosity – a gap in knowledge seems rather convincing in a legal setting. Assuming that lawyers generally search for legal sources in order to deal with a working task, the following statement is very persuasive:
Some descriptions of a […] task were more in the ‘puzzle piece’ mode, of filling a slot, but there was considerable indication of unspecified information need at the beginning of the process. A lawyer explained it this way: ‘You have an idea in your mind of what you are going to find out. You know there is a slot that needs to be filled and you know the name of that slot but you don’t know what goes into it’.
Carol C Kuhlthau, S L Tama; Information search process of lawyers: a call for ‘just for me’ information services; Journal of Documentation; 57:1; 2001; pp 25–43
What strikes me in this regard is that the lawyer is aware of the missing piece but does not know how to complete the puzzle. Identifying the slot is not the same as picking the appropriate search words. Keywords might not always successfully represent the missing puzzle piece. Maybe it would be more of value for a legal IR system to know the other pieces, in order to be able to fill the gap ……
context, here we are again ……..
[NB] See also the earlier quotes of the month:
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