Abstract
Global and national law firms alike operate in a challenging business environment and managing the firm's information and knowledge assets is increasingly viewed as a key factor in efficient legal service delivery. In legal practice, information management technologies, for example intranets, portals, workflow management systems, document and content management systems, case and project management systems and online dispute resolution systems are becoming important means of legal service delivery. The reason for applying information management technologies and implementing knowledge management strategies in law firms is not only to satisfy clients' growing need for a trusted online platform to interact with legal service providers, but for law firms to capitalise on their intellectual assets, to continuously modernise legal practice management, to empower lawyers, to increase productivity, to use time efficiently, to transfer skills and knowledge from senior to junior professionals, to improve service delivery and to gain competitive advantage. This article firstly reviews the role of information and knowledge management in providing an effective legal service to clients and compares foreign and South African law firms' information management related contexts, challenges and benefits. Secondly, it presents the findings of a survey conducted at South African law firms based on their knowledge management practices. The aim of the article is to provide insights into law firm knowledge management and its effect on providing legal services in an online business environment.
Highlights
Recent developments in information and communication technologies (ICTs), in the context of the needs of groups of knowledge workers such as lawyers who use information and communication technology (ICT) to form knowledge networks, have created new management dilemmas.1 have many law firms embraced the use of ICTs in their legal practices, but many clients of law firms, especially large corporate clients, increasingly demand sophisticated online legal service delivery platforms.2 In this changing and challenging business environment information and knowledge management (IKM) is becoming critical to law firm success.3 At its core the practice of law is about the provision of specialised services which are based on legal knowledge
From the literature review it appears that the performance of law firms is closely associated with their ability to function effectively in a business environment that relies on IKM processes, systems and methods to share their know-how internally as well as with their clients, and to keep this knowledge safe from their competitors
Lawyers are rewarded for how effective they are in applying their knowledge, and their efficiency is measured in the legal accuracy of the work product that they deliver to the client
Summary
Recent developments in information and communication technologies (ICTs), in the context of the needs of groups of knowledge workers such as lawyers who use ICTs to form knowledge networks, have created new management dilemmas. have many law firms embraced the use of ICTs in their legal practices, but many clients of law firms, especially large corporate clients, increasingly demand sophisticated online legal service delivery platforms. In this changing and challenging business environment information and knowledge management (IKM) is becoming critical to law firm success. At its core the practice of law is about the provision of specialised services which are based on legal knowledge. Have many law firms embraced the use of ICTs in their legal practices, but many clients of law firms, especially large corporate clients, increasingly demand sophisticated online legal service delivery platforms.. Have many law firms embraced the use of ICTs in their legal practices, but many clients of law firms, especially large corporate clients, increasingly demand sophisticated online legal service delivery platforms.2 In this changing and challenging business environment information and knowledge management (IKM) is becoming critical to law firm success.. This article reviews the importance of managing the information and knowledge assets of law firms and presents the findings of a survey of IKM practices at South African law firms. The aim of this article is to provide insights into law firm knowledge management and its effect on providing legal services to clients, bearing in mind the burden of the billable hour
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