Does this sound familiar?  No matter where they have practiced or how experienced they are, without knowledge of computers, it is almost impossible for lawyers to obtain jobs in large corporate law departments and in legal process outsourcing (“LPO”).  Computers are becoming a basic skill for many Indian lawyers.

After practicing in the Indian courts for some time and working for three years in the LPOs, I have been comparing the US / UK legal infrastructure with that of the Indian system. I have noted that there are many online legal resources for the US lawyers, with Westlaw and Lexis Nexis being two of the most familiar.  In the U.S., there are even iPhone applications for lawyers, such as Fastcase, LawStack, and Legal Edge.

Indian lawyers must also explore and develop online resources and recognize the competitive advantage that tech-savvy Indian lawyers will have over their book-and-notepad counterparts.

Though the new generation of lawyers and law students in India are making some use of computers and the Internet in their practices, it is limited only to urban areas. There are many lawyers in India who are not aware of such resources or ideas. To keep up with a 21st Century legal landscape, Indian lawyers cannot afford to be complacent.  When lawyers in the West are typing their own documents and are searching for legal precedents from their desks, Indian lawyers cannot afford to be left behind.

Here is my list of what Indian lawyers should adopt in order to better adapt:

1.    Computerization: Imagine having all your files stored on a hard drive, a pen drive, or on CDs, which consume only 1/100th of your office space and allow you to access case files in an instant. And guess what? We can contribute our bit to the environment by minimizing paper usage! Financially, a paperless office means less office space, which means less rent.  That means less overhead!

2.    Use of the Internet: We can make use of this amazing tool to procure information instantaneously. We can browse and subscribe to many websites like www.supremecourtofindia.nic.in, www.lawcommissionofindia.nic.in (to name just a few) in order to search for case law and legal updates, as opposed to maneuvering through huge books. There are many other resources, including but not limited to, www.manupathra.com, www.cyberlawsindia.net, www.indlii.org, http://judis.nic.in/, which we can rely on to increase our knowledge as lawyers. The Internet also opens us up to foreign legal systems.

3.     Social media: By creating websites and blog sites, Indian lawyers can share views and experiences so that, collectively, we become better.  Examples of a few such websites/blog sites include: www.legallyindia.com, www.lawyersindia.com, www.lawmirror.com, and www.legalinstincts.com (yes, this is my own company’s blog site, but we’ll do anything for publicity).  Indian lawyers should also embrace Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook as means for increasing their networks and, thereby, enhancing their chances of finding jobs and clients.

While the Indian government is still contemplating whether to let foreign law firms stretch their wings into India, I would like to refer to a blog post entitled “Entry of Foreign Law Firms: Let Them In” by an author named “napster” in www.legallyindia.com.  The author indicates a willingness to compete head-on with foreign law firms.  The author also blogs and clearly knows how to use a computer. There is a message in there, somewhere.

So if you wish to be a “torch bearer” for the impending Indian legal Olympics, you better start preparing now if you want a medal!

What’s interesting is that most panels have social media enthusiasts along with skeptics who are not sure whether social media is a good tool for lawyers.  What’s even more interesting is that there are no panels on whether lawyers should use golf, Rotary Clubs, or cocktail parties for business development.  No detractors there.  All lawyers agree that these are acceptable ways to meet potential clients and referral sources.

A Social Media Cocktail Party

What if social media was one huge, gigantic series of global cocktail parties?  What if Twitter was really about meeting people in a room, face-to-face? As it turns out, it kind of is.

People who are in the same city will often have what are called “tweetups” (Twitter + meet-up = tweetup.  Pretty smurfy, huh?).  Tweetups are amazing because they bridge the gap between the online world and the traditional way we meet people. Twitter users who might not be “following” each other often attend the same tweetups, exchange business cards (that’s right, actual paper cards), schedule coffee and lunch meetings (real meetings, not over a webcam), and eventually do business together (they might also start following each other on Twitter and connect through LinkedIn, but I digress).

Any Naysayers?

Tweetups rarely make their way onto panel discussions, but they are truly great business development tools. Even if you don’t tweet anything and don’t have any followers, all you need is to follow enough other people so that you hear about tweetups taking place in the city in which you live or in any city to which you are traveling.  In other words, you don’t actually have to say anything on Twitter that you think might expose you to the purported risks of social media.  You can simply be a social media bystander, watching out for opportunities to meet people and network at tweetups.

Can there really be a skeptic on a panel discussing tweetups?  If so, get ready for panels discussing the inherent risks and malpractice exposure that can occur from cocktail parties.

P.S. – If you know of any good tweetups, send me a Twitter message at @atlaslegal.  I’ll be the Indian guy drinking a Diet Coke.

Two of my favorite business books are Good to Great by Jim Collins and The Breakthrough Company by Keith McFarland. Both books track successful business in order to find some of the common traits among them.  Collins focuses on publicly traded companies.  McFarland focuses on smaller companies that are privately held.

After reading both books, I have concluded that most law firms are not built like successful businesses even though they should be.  However, there are a few things we lawyers can do to remedy that.  I have compiled my own “Top 3” list.  NOTE: This list does not pertain only to big firms.  Law firms of all sizes, along with legal service providers, can benefit.

1.    “Crowning the [Firm]”

I placed this one in quotes because it’s not my phrase.  It was coined by McFarland, who referred to “crowning the company.”  He uses the term to emphasize that the most successful small companies achieved “breakthrough” because their leaders focused more on their organizations and less on themselves.  In short, the organization was more important than any one individual or set of individuals.

How many law firms operate like this?  More often than not, lawyers are rewarded for their individual revenue contributions, measured in billable hours.  This incentive structure, arguably, is the opposite of “crowning the [firm].”  Perhaps providers of legal services should borrow from McFarland and focus more holistically on their organizations.

2.    Market Share!!!!

This one is my own observation.  I cannot rely on a great thinker.  However, it is amazing to see how much lawyers and law firms emphasize revenue per client matter over market share.  Look at household-name companies, and you can see that they do not focus on maximizing revenue per can of soda, per burger, per tire, etc.  They focus on capturing a larger share of the market while keeping enough margin to make a profit and grow.  Law firms tend to focus on revenue, whether that comes from more billable hours, higher rates, or “upcharging” for other services.  When lawyers think in terms of revenue, and clients think in terms of market share, I propose that there is a disconnect. Will the law firms of the future shift their thinking?  My hypothesis says “yes.”

3.    Collective Character

Talk to a non-lawyer about law firms and legal services, and they often cannot differentiate between providers.  Why?  Perhaps that is because those of us in the legal field have not spent enough time thinking about company/law firm character.

Both Collins and McFarland emphasize company character.  The best companies will decide on their overarching goals and ascertain what their companies stand for.  Examples include creating a place where people bring value through their work, making sure customers feel that they are treated fairly, and making sure people with the right attitudes join the company.  Money and revenue do not fit into discussions on company character.

What does your law firm or your company stand for?  Are you living it?

Conclusion

I am fully aware that many people will disagree with my views.  Some might even get angry.  That’s okay.  Just know two things: (1) I am working on these issues myself, and (2) I have not yet mastered them.  Back to work!

Just like our planet, the world of law goes through climatic changes.  In 2009, we recognized that the legal climate changed.  The billable hour and the dominance of large law firms have been questioned.  Contract lawyers, legal outsourcing, e-discovery, and a host of other developments have been the topics of discussion at CLE presentations and in conference rooms all over the world.

The future will belong to those lawyers who thrive by staying out of their comfort zones through innovation. This blog site is a labor of love by the men and women of Atlas Legal Research, L.P.  Our dedication to the law and the legal profession has emboldened us to open this forum in an effort to help all lawyers embrace innovation and adaptation and, thereby, become better and stronger advocates.

History tells us that innovation and adaptation will win.

Humanity’s beginnings

How did modern humans defeat Neanderthals in the race for survival?  According to scientists on the History Channel, National Geographic, and other sources, modern humans had a special advantage over their more muscular counterparts.  Not everyone agrees with the idea of evolution, but the concepts that emerge from the argument are fascinating when viewed from a 21^st Century prism.

In the human vs. Neanderthal context, we were not physically stronger than Neanderthals. They were bigger and more powerful.  Our brains were not necessarily larger.  They were of roughly equal size.  However, our brains functioned in a manner that allowed us to shape our environment by creating superior tools.  Through those tools, we were able to live in a variety of climates and thrive.  In short, modern humans were able to adapt better than Neanderthals. Our instincts were sharper and gave us the ability to innovate. Since then, that ability has led to humans becoming the dominant species on planet earth.

What This Blog Will Deliver to YOU

Our modern human ancestors prevailed through adaptation.  Arguably, adaptation will determine the winners and losers in the legal profession as well.  In this forum, we will examine the legal profession from every angle we can fathom.  We hope to provide a fertile ground for discussing innovation and adaptation so that, as lawyers, we can all thrive long enough to continue serving our clients and our society.

Welcome to Legalinstincts.com, the official blog site of Atlas Legal Research, L.P. (www.atlaslegal.com).  By sharing stories and experiences, we hope to push the envelope of legal innovation.  Let the adventure begin!