Are law firms losing out in the ‘Web 2.0 revolution’?

A recent white paper released by Spada Research found considerable caution among the professions when it came to embracing Web 2.0 and other ‘new’ technologies. Management concerns, such as security threats and potential time wasting were some of the key themes. Continuing the debate of the use of Web 2.0 in the law firm environment Gavin Ingham Brooke, managing director at Spada, discusses why many are still lagging behind other organisations in their take-up of such tools and practices.

What were the main drivers for putting the white paper together?
Coming at it from the point of view of marketing and business development alone there is an incredible potential to form social business circles around a common interest, which can be furthered via some of these new technologies. For example, the ability that a constantly building wiki offers to develop rapid knowledge around a subject is awesome. And some of the ways that you can develop your brand footprint by making your content searchable, or developing an online presence; some of the ways you can filter and stream useful information using RSS [really simple syndication] feeds; and the use of social networking – for example, having a constant conversation via blogs – are all important areas. Law firms should be exploiting such this, but they are not yet taking full advantage of the technology available.

What factors or concerns might be holding law firms back?
I think that for many it’s a fear of the unknown, which is sometimes understandable. It’s risk aversion – and there are certain vulnerabilities. Some people are worried about the distraction point: perhaps the perceived worry that people may spend hours on Facebook. But like the mobile phone and television in previous years, Web 2.0 is becoming just another element of everyday life and there are ways of managing your life so that you don’t spend hours each day on the phone or watching TV. In order to resolve such issues there needs to be climate of trust and clear policies on IT systems usage.

As the leaders in their field (from a knowledge point of view), surely law firms should be at the forefront of such practices?
Law firms have come on leaps and bounds in the past 18 to 20 years and they have been adept at beginning to use their intellectual content in quite forward-thinking, proactive ways. There has been a whole set of programmes, such as roundtables, white papers and so on, where firms have been sharing their knowledge. Perhaps by getting a conversation going with their clients and collaborators around a technical issue or real business concern. This is a considerable enhancement when it comes to projecting their know-how and expertise. Law firms are full of intellectual content, but do not always actively deploy it. If they are actually among the first to deploy that knowledge through mediums such as specialised blogs (which generate quite a footprint on the web) and that presence grows, it will become a key element of their business development going forward. And as businesses centred on knowledge and development, they need to be showing an interest in anything that grows that knowledge at an exponential rate while also – and this is the problem – safeguarding the authenticity of that knowledge. This is a real challenge for them. We may well see that gated-community-type approach whereby certain sources of knowledge, be they wiki or blog-based, are generated by people who are authenticated authorities or valued contributors. With ‘ranked’ contributors, there will be the fully open space in which anyone can add information or edit, then approved editors or authorities in certain subject areas to continue the process. It’s all about harnessing those tools to develop knowledge and know-how, then projecting that information outwards more competently, and in a more powerful and objective way.

KM and information services must be best positioned to oversee the process – what might be holding them back?
A number of factors, not least some of the generational divides which exist within any organisation. Adept users of such technology tend to be in their twenties; they are ‘natives’ and have grown up with social networking. An IT department might also be technologically savvy and at home with Web 2.0, although they probably have the same level of fear as others in terms of any potential security risks. And often the more senior partners are less used to such tools, so they can be conceived as difficult to get a handle on. It’s probably quite similar to when law firms began using PCs – they tend to operate a ‘wait and see’ approach rather than getting out there and doing something new, first. But the growth of knowledge is speeding up, so they do need to get on top of this.

Is it fair to say that law firms can learn much from other organisations or businesses operating in different sectors?
Of course, there is heaps that they can learn and sometimes even their clients will be well ahead of them. They should be looking to other organisations, whether major corporate or small consultancies coming up with new products in this arena. The capabilities offered by Web 2.0 should be a significant element of their know-how and innovation development, to enable them to actively engage people and pursue their knowledge. However, this will always be easier in those firms where you have the resources (which some smaller firms might not have) to deploy in pursuing and capturing innovation.

The debate about technology usage has been going on for some time, although it seems to have come full circle with social software?
Yes. It’s slightly different this time round as the technology is really following human behaviour rather than the other way round. It’s not asking you to change everything because of the technology – it’s following on from the way we tend to interact and learn, which bodes well for its future. I think it will continue to be developed on that human behavioural platform.

What would you recommend as first steps to firms starting out on their Web 2.0 journey?
Have at least a few people trying it out. Set up a wiki and experience how it works and how users collaborate. Or, try a limited blog with a smaller group to begin with – but at all levels of the firm. If this becomes the preserve of just one generation or those who are more technically able, it will not do the job properly.
It might be unknown territory, but you have to start thinking about it, doing it and seeing where it will take you. It’s not about having a fully-fledged development policy with every evolutionary phase detailed and a huge budget allocated. It’s quite an organic process – you just need to get people to start taking smaller steps, such as RSS feeds. If you have interest groups and you use these effectively, you’ve got much more chance of being informed.

And clients are more demanding of their legal services providers now.
They are, which is also why such technology is useful when applied internationally – even when people are in different time zones, the firm’s knowledge can be at work no matter what time of day it is.

Themes examined in The Laity bites back

Challenges for professional use
Fundamental barriers to adoption include changing values and a shift in public trust, professional cultural barriers to adoption, security threats, hyperlinks subverting hierarchy, and fears that time wasting could affect profitability.

Benefits of social networking
Should firms be using Web 2.0 to grow and maintain networks with past clients? Will online social networks replace traditional events and networks? Do online communities cement or segment firms, and how or when will they become truly effective communication tools?

Is Web 2.0 the peak of the knowledge ecomony?
Does Web 2.0 represent the end of knowledge management or will the knowledge economy continue to expand through other platforms? How can firms retain intellectual capital in ‘the free market of ideas’.

What the professions can do for Web 2.0
How Web 2.0 can be used to improve communications, project management and collaboration. Exploiting Web 2.0 for innovation.

Best practices – the technorati trend
Successful Web 2.0 platforms – including blogs, wikis and social networking – plus their principal features and key benefits.

For more information visit www.spada.co.uk