We’re not normally inclined to pat ourselves on the back, so I hope you’ll indulge me for a couple paragraphs: the fine work of the entire Legal Current team – led by Kevin Hunt, Angie Schaffer and Gretchen DeSutter – has been recognized by Business Insider, a business site dedicated to reporting and analyzing top stories from across the Web. Business Insider talked to Kevin and discussed Legal Current for an article about corporate blogs.
From its inception in May 2009, Legal Current has worked to provide interesting content about the global practice and business of law, with contributions from Thomson Reuters leaders, employees and authors affiliated with the business. Legal Current also is a timely source of news and information about all the legal businesses of Thomson Reuters.
We particularly like using Legal Current to highlight events in the legal industry that bring together so many of you. A good example is our recent coverage from LegalTech New York, where we attended and recapped sessions at the conference and talked about legal industry trends with thought leaders and other attendees.
Simply put, we view Legal Current as a way to communicate with people like you who are passionate about the practice and business of law – all over the world. We appreciate that opportunity. And it’s gratifying to see that work recognized.
As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions.
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With the official launch of WestlawNext on Monday, Feb. 1 (More to come soon from us, right here on Legal Current), I’m devoting this week’s look at some law-related blog and news links to some of the thoughts and analysis from some people who recently received a briefing directly from the WestlawNext team:
Bob Ambrogi
Laura Bergus
David Bilinsky
Tom Boone
Simon Chester
Jason Eiseman
Carolyn Elefant
Greg Lambert
Betsy McKenzie
Lisa Solomon
Jason Wilson
In addition to the blog coverage, you can find more pre-launch information on the Web about WestlawNext in The New York Times and ABA Journal.
You also can check out West’s preview site at SeeWestlaw.com. And check in with us here on Legal Current in the days ahead!
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Our General Counsel for Thomson Reuters, Legal, is Ed Friedland. This month he’s featured in an interview in Metropolitan Corporate Counsel magazine.
One of the topics Friedland addresses is compliance., an area of the law that he feels has seen the most growth in a corporate counsel setting:
Some years ago, we were reasonably comfortable operating with the assumption that no news was good news. If we didn’t hear from a particular business or function we could assume that everything was working okay. They knew when to raise their hand and call for help. I don’t think anyone can really afford to operate with that mindset anymore. We need to be more proactive in reaching out to all parts of our business, domestically and globally, to have a comfort level that there’s appropriate attention to compliance, whether you’re in a regulated industry or not.
Again, you can read read the entire interview with Ed Friedland in Metropolitan Corporate Counsel magazine.
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Rick King, Global Head of Technology and Operations at Thomson Reuters, Legal, shared some his thoughts on information technology with ITworld in an article titled “What I’ve Learned About Being An Effective IT Leader.”
King was asked about several topics. Here’s what he had to say about hiring the right people:
Since good people totally make the difference in the success of an organization, you need to take your time in hiring. A bad hire will take you a long time to deal with, more time than leaving the position open and searching for the right person. Look not only for the right skills but the right attitude in terms of fit. Even when hiring times are tough, we want to be picky about who we bring in.
And, on “the hardest rubs” in the IT workflow:
The biggest downside is that it’s a 24/7/365 operation, and problems do not read the calendar. You have to get used to a different type of work, which actually is more suitable for how the world works today. You go with the ebbs and flows of the business and the projects you’re on. You’ve got to be prepared to take your breaks when they present themselves, even though that makes planning stuff with the family hard. For a lot of our folks, that’s where the hardest rubs come.
You can read the entire article featuring Rick King on ITworld.
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The 2009 Law Technology News Awards for vendors have been announced. Elite and ProLaw are proud to report that they each won “Gold.”
Elite Billing Manager earned Gold in the Time and Billing for Large firms (100+ lawyers) category, which Elite has won in six out of the seven years of the LTN Awards. Billing Manager helps law firms improve billing accuracy, improve invoicing efficiency and reduce billing cycles.
ProLaw received the top spot in the Docketing & Calendar Application category. The ProLaw software suite is used to automate the practice and manage the business of law for small and mid-size law firms, corporate legal departments and government law offices.
LTN, published by ALM, bases the awards on nominations from its subscribers, who identify the legal technology products and vendors that represent outstanding achievement in the industry.
The awards will officially be handed out Feb. 1, during LegalTech, at the New York Hilton.
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In her blog Common Scold, Law Technology News Editor-in-Chief Monica Bay revealed some big names in the interesting lineup of speakers for the 2010 LegalTech New York.
And Thomson Reuters, Legal is right in the middle of it.
The title of Bay’s post is “Gladwell to speak at LegalTech New York,” referring to author Malcolm Gladwell, of course.
Also on the LegalTech agenda is Nobel Laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, the outgoing head of the International Atomic Energy Agency and a possible candidate in the Egyptian presidential elections.
LegalTech also will feature appearances from several Thomson Reuters leaders, including Peter Warwick, president and CEO of Thomson Reuters, Legal; David Craig, chief strategy officer, Thomson Reuters; and Steve Rubley, vice president of West Government Services.
Click here for more information on LegalTech, which begins February 1, 2010.
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Who is a responsible citizen? What is a hero? An Eagan, Minn. convenience store clerk would say that Jochen Leidner, a research scientist at Thomson Reuters, is both.
On November 15, after filling his car with gasoline, Leidner entered a convenience store to scout for a snack and report an odd smell from the pump. Minutes later he was wrestling a robber to the ground.
“While I was standing in queue, a man with a black T-shirt over his head pushed the woman in front of me,” Leidner said. “The man then turned to the clerk and said ‘Give me the cash, I’m not kidding you.’” He appeared to have a gun, hidden.
Leidner, with previous experience as a paramedic, quickly tried to assess if a plastic bag the man was holding really contained a gun, but he was unsure.
Leidner said, “The clerk looked shocked and wasn’t responding to the robber’s request. I was worried he might shoot her, or shoot others in the store.” So within seconds Leidner slipped behind the robber and took the risk.
(Image from security video provided to Eagan, Minn. police)
The store surveillance cameras show Leidner taking the robber to the ground, and two other men in the store then jumping in to help hold the robber until police arrived. (See the video in this WCCO-TV report)
Why did he take this risk?
Leidner in a quiet voice said, “I was concerned for the clerk.” And he is still concerned and hopes she will recover from the shock. Was he scared, or does he feel scared about it today? He didn’t think about it, but hopes his mother in Germany never hears about it. “I think she would be freaked out,” he said.
In Jochen Leidner’s eyes, the real triumph of this story is that nobody was hurt.
Heroes are everyday people, making a difference. Jochen Leidner is definitely a hero, although he prefers to think of himself as simply a responsible citizen.
Either way, I think his mother would be very proud of him.
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The merger of Hildebrandt and Baker Robbins & Company, just announced, combines the two leading consultancies serving the legal market. Both businesses are part of Thomson Reuters, Legal.
The merger takes effect Jan. 1, 2010. Hildebrandt and Baker Robbins & Company have collectively worked with 95 of the Global 100 law firms and with 99 of the Am Law 100, as well as numerous mid-sized and regional firms on a wide variety of strategic, structural and technology-related projects.
Hildebrandt founder Brad Hildebrandt told The Am Law Daily “It just makes enormous sense… …The two companies have been working together anyway, since a big part of helping firms become more efficient involves streamlining their tech systems.”
Hildebrandt managing director Jim Jones told The Am Law Daily that “Most firms are just not equipped with the technology to deal with changing business models the way they are going to be forced to.”
In the news release, Baker Robbins & Company co-founder Brad Robbins said “…the unique services offered by the new company represent a substantial value-add to clients, especially in such essential areas as strategy, and enhanced use of technology both in the practice of law and as a management tool.”
The newly combined firm will be managed jointly by Brad Robbins, the current CEO of Baker Robbins & Company, and Jim Jones, the current managing director of Hildebrandt, while Brad Hildebrandt will continue in a senior leadership role with a special focus on key client relationships and global initiatives.
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How many times have you looked over in traffic and saw the driver next to you staring at their mobile phone or tapping out an email or text? Or, maybe you’re among those who find it hard to keep your eyes on the road?
You’re not alone.
A new survey by FindLaw.com found that nine out of ten drivers say they have engaged in distracting and potentially dangerous activities while driving.
The most common activities that are to blame are: Drinking coffee or other beverages (81%), eating (76%), talking on a cell phone (66%) and sending or receiving text messages (29%).
The survey also found that more than half of drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 say they have sent or received a text message while driving.
Many states and localities have laws specifically prohibiting activities such as using a cell phone or sending a text message while driving. In addition, several states have laws that hold drivers accountable for distractions that could contribute to an accident.
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Today I presented the Minnesota Ultra High-Speed Broadband Task Force’s report. I was appointed chair of the Task Force by Governor Tim Pawlenty back in 2008. Since then, the 23-member Task Force met 18 times.
We’ve read, listened, studied, debated and eventually agreed by consensus to all the findings in the report.
I am very proud of my fellow Task Force members. We had conversations that were sometimes difficult. But the consensus process worked and I believe Minnesotans will be better off for it.
I am excited about what ultra high-speed Internet can do. Not only for customers of the legal businesses of Thomson Reuters who have clients all over the world, but for our employees who can possibly telecommute while they are serving those customers.
Ultra high-speed broadband is vital for Minnesota, and all states, and their economic vitality. It is important for me personally to live in a state that’s innovative and forward thinking.
Rick King
Global Head of Technology and Operations
Thomson Reuters, Legal
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Thomson Reuters, Legal, President & CEO Peter Warwick offered his perspective on the company’s approach to the current economic reality in a panel discussion, “Adapting and Thriving in a Challenging Economy”, at the Minnesota Venture & Finance Conference.
The launch of WestlawNext brings a significant advancement in the way professional legal research is done.
Andrew F. Popper, a professor at American University, Washington College of Law, talks about his award-winning novel “Rediscovering Lone Pine.”
