Advancements in technology continue to reshape the practice of law and all aspects of our lives. These advancements have resulted in increase productivity, improvements in work product, access to information, enhanced communication and so much more. But at what cost? At the same time, increased reliance technology has resulted in a loss of privacy, “addiction,” especially in younger people, erosion of traditional cultures and skill, the danger of ‘homogenizing” knowledge and information and more.
This session examines the “good, bad and the ugly” of technology and how we can promote the “good” and minimize the “bad and the ugly.” The presentation will include a wide variety of tool, gadgets, tricks and other resources to take advantage of the positive effects of technology in life in general and the practice of law specifically. For example, law firm client portals, automated client intake forms, using AI to summarize documents for you and your clients, picking the right eDiscovery tools and judicious use of Zoom, Teams and other videoconferencing tools can increase the positive effects of technology when used properly
In addition, the session will provide methods and resources for combating the negative effects of technology dependence. Examples are: creating tech-free events and spaces; applications for setting limits on “doom-scrolling” and “click bait”; digital detox devices; blue-light filtering glasses; phone blockers and time management apps; and applications for fact-checking AI output.