Internal Practices and Procedures

Guest blog post by Julie Brook, Esq., Legal Editor with the CEB blog

Many attorneys have taken to the cloud, but others are hanging back, primarily because of concerns about security and accessibility of their documents. Here are some things you should know before using cloud computing in your law office.

Let’s start with defining what we mean by cloud computing: Cloud computing (or software as a service (SaaS)) is a service accessed via the Internet that allows businesses and individuals to create, edit, and store data and documents online. Instead of buying and installing software on your computer system, users upload information onto the Internet—“the cloud”—where it is stored with a software service.

When thinking about using cloud...

As part of my risk consulting, I sometimes explore a firm's claims history in a group setting of attorneys. Every once and a while, one or more of the attorneys will resist this effort and question the appropriateness of the topic. With similar frequency I find myself in an open and honest discussion about what happened. The claims discussion is an interesting part of the visit process as I can learn a great deal about the inner workings of a firm based upon how the group responds. Ultimately, I am looking for an ability of the involved attorney(s) and the firm to hold themselves accountable for their actions or inactions. I am also looking to see if they have embraced the learning that can be taken from the experience and, perhaps most...