An increasing number of tasks in the legal field are becoming automated. One of the main reasons why lawyers were able to increase efficiency is technology. Technology-enabled us with so many different tools and applications. Many tasks have become fully automated, redlining a contract for example. To read more about redlining check DocJuris.
The days of witches and warlocks are gone. You won’t be burned at the stake for using technology. On the contrary, professionals from all industries run towards knowledge and AI. If you agree with that, then you absolutely need to know which services and tools lawyers work with nowadays. These tools can make your life so much easier by taking over mundane, boring tasks.
Document editing software
Visualize yourself editing a contract. You spend an hour reading it and pointing out little mistakes. It gets worse; what if you weren’t the one who wrote this contract? You need to think twice as hard to get through it. In this state of mind, it’s easy to miss things. Because of that, you need to ask for a second pair of eyes when you’re done. What if something slipped your eyes?
Document editing software like Loio makes it so much easier to edit contracts. In this case, you are the second pair of eyes approving the changes AI made. The program goes through the document and highlights all the important details that need double-checking. That includes addresses, bank account numbers, names, and so on.
Then, the program brings formatting errors to your attention. Errors in numbered lists and mismatched fonts won’t escape the “eyes” of the add-in. In short, document editing software scans the document and points out any possible issues that you need to address. There is no need to read the entire thing word by word. Focus on the parts highlighted by the program. What would take you an hour, takes AI a few seconds.
Project management software
Even if your firm is really small and you only have a few cases to manage, you need project management software. Like it or not, every lawyer is a project manager too. You can’t understand the workload you have until it’s in front of you in a visual format.
Organizing your projects and tasks will help you stay on top of everything. There are many different solutions suitable for big and small firms. You can easily find the right tool for your practice. Besides giving you an overview of all the upcoming tasks, the tool can remind you before a task is due, store all of your templates and documents, and even facilitate communication with colleagues and clients.
Everything that you think you need to write down on a piece of paper can actually go in your project management tool. Not only is technology more reliable than a piece of paper, but it also gives you a better overview of all the moving parts. Organization is key to a successful practice.
If you’re working with a cloud-based solution, it will keep your documents safe too. You won’t have to run around the office going through drawers if all of your legal documents are stored in the cloud. You can have access to them from anywhere and collaborate with your colleagues remotely. Storing documents on your computer or external drives is not as safe and significantly less organized.
Research tools for lawyers
Google is our lord and savior in daily life. It seems as though you can find anything with the help of this almighty search engine. Google is not all that when it comes to the legal field though! There are specific search engines and knowledge databases for lawyers. Here are just a few of them:
- Casetext: Legal research software that offers you a number of cases that are relevant to your case.
- FindLaw: Free online legal database of case summaries and legal news, which is the perfect starting point for research.
- Justia: One of the largest online legal databases where you can find codes, regulations, and case law.
- Fastcase: Software that makes finding case law, statutes, and regulations easy and effortless.
Bonus: The Characteristics of a Good Lawyer
Techonology is there to help, and it can significantly increase the effectiveness of every lawyer. However, if you do not possess certain characteristics, the technology won’t be helpful a lot. Because of that, we would like to highlight the most important ones that all the most professional lawyers have. Let’s go!
Judgement: The Main Characteristic of Good Lawyers
There is a good reason why all the good lawyers need to know how to make logical conclusions. Keep in mind that not all the pieces of information are going to be available to you. In some cases, you will need to put into consideration all the judgements, and try to find all the weaknesses your arguments have. On the other hand, you also need to be able to recognize the weaknesses of the arguments that the lawyers of the other party have. This may not be easy, but it is an ability that comes over time when you gain the necessary experience.
Communication Skills Need to Be at the Highest Level
We are not talking here about the communication you need to lead during the trial. It is essential for every lawyer to communicate with the party he represents in the best possible way. Keep in mind that there are many people that simply are not ready to tell you everything. If the communication lacks quality, there is a big chance you will make a mistake because your client hasn’t provided you with the relevant information. Because of that, you need to be friendly all the time and let the client feel like he is talking to a relative, best friend, or partner. If you succeed to do that, it will be much easier to prepare the arguments and reach the goal that you and your clients have.
You Need to Be Creative
As previously mentioned, preparing the arguments is only possible with clear facts and pieces of information. However, keep in mind that the opposite side will know exactly what you will want to do. Because of that, the lawyers of the other party will have enough time to prepare the arguments that will be stronger than yours. If you do not want to be obvious, then you will have to get out of the box and try to be as creative as possible. In some moments, you will have to do some things that would even surprise the clients you represent on the court.
Every Good Lawyer Has “People Skills”
What exactly are “people skills”? These skills allow you to recognize whenever someone is not telling the truth on the court. More precisely, you will have to learn how to read the desire, effort to hide something, and weaknesses of the other side. When the trial starts, you will know which questions you will exactly need to take in order to reach the desired goals.
We do not want to say that reading the mind of others is going to be an easy task. That is the reason why you should spend more time with people with different mentalities and characteristics. By doing that, you will start understanding how different people function and see which weaknesses they exactly have.
