It is not necessarily easy to relate the issues in the article to my work as a lawyer. Whilst technology has become more important it is really about easier and quicker ways of doing much the same thing as before.
For example, using databases such as LexisNexus enables quick searching for relevant cases and commentary and makes such resources easy to structure and use to write advices. Using e-mail enables speedy communication and provides a clear trail of the conversation (unlike the telephone which requires detailed notes to be prepared for the file). Using word processing enables clear and efficient drafting (I type about as fast as I write and my handwriting is vile) which also means that support staff are freed up to manage diaries and documents and answer calls etc, rather than audio typing.
Court hearings may take place by conference call rather than in person - but the rules and procedures are essentially the same.
However these are all technological improvements on the original tasks - researching the law, writing advices, negotiating or drafting documents. There is no step change here that I can see.
The main change is the expectation of clients that communication will be immediate and of levels of availability. This is facilitated by e-mail - I tend to reply and give a timescale for a full and considered advice. The danger is that the immediacy of e-mail communication leads to a less considered approach which is risky.
So far as education is concerned I tutor for the OU so my experiences are all currently within that environment. I initially started with a level 1 face to face tutorial course that has very limited on-line involvement (no tutor group forum, printed materials) and I then began to tutor the company law option which has printed materials but on-line tutorials via a discussion forum. The on-line tutorial format is rather limiting and the students dislike it (not interesting and lacking pace because of limited participation). The course is switching over to Elluminate next presentation and whilst I dread the technical issues that should improve the quality of the tutorials no end. I am somewhat concerned thought that there does not appear to be a clear program of training for tutors in Elluminate so I hope that it is intuitive to moderate!
Reading Conole -my own experience of technology
It is not necessarily easy to relate the issues in the article to my work as a lawyer. Whilst technology has become more important it is really about easier and quicker ways of doing much the same thing as before.
For example, using databases such as LexisNexus enables quick searching for relevant cases and commentary and makes such resources easy to structure and use to write advices. Using e-mail enables speedy communication and provides a clear trail of the conversation (unlike the telephone which requires detailed notes to be prepared for the file). Using word processing enables clear and efficient drafting (I type about as fast as I write and my handwriting is vile) which also means that support staff are freed up to manage diaries and documents and answer calls etc, rather than audio typing.
Court hearings may take place by conference call rather than in person - but the rules and procedures are essentially the same.
However these are all technological improvements on the original tasks - researching the law, writing advices, negotiating or drafting documents. There is no step change here that I can see.
The main change is the expectation of clients that communication will be immediate and of levels of availability. This is facilitated by e-mail - I tend to reply and give a timescale for a full and considered advice. The danger is that the immediacy of e-mail communication leads to a less considered approach which is risky.
So far as education is concerned I tutor for the OU so my experiences are all currently within that environment. I initially started with a level 1 face to face tutorial course that has very limited on-line involvement (no tutor group forum, printed materials) and I then began to tutor the company law option which has printed materials but on-line tutorials via a discussion forum. The on-line tutorial format is rather limiting and the students dislike it (not interesting and lacking pace because of limited participation). The course is switching over to Elluminate next presentation and whilst I dread the technical issues that should improve the quality of the tutorials no end. I am somewhat concerned thought that there does not appear to be a clear program of training for tutors in Elluminate so I hope that it is intuitive to moderate!
Vikki