joanne@iltanet.org
BLOCKING PERSONAL EMAIL
The
practice of blocking access to personal email in the office appears
to be increasing in the legal sector. This was a new question in the 2014 ILTA
Tech Survey. 6% of the smallest firms and almost 22% of the largest firms
blocked personal email. Though most firms have a policy about using work products
for personal use, the policy is likely overlooked by many staff and attorneys.
ILTA has a policy template available if you would like to spruce up your firm’s
policy.
“Use of Personal
Computing Devices Template”
Tech Dirt reported a few large
law firms prohibiting use of personal mail back in 2013. Will there be another
round soon given the recent publicity of personal email being used for work?
“You’ve Got (No)
Mail! Major Law Firm Blocks Employee Email Access”
With widespread media coverage of Hillary’s Clinton’s use of personal email,
the topic is likely to be sensitive for some time.
BEST PRACTICES
ILTA publishes a vast range of best practices information. Here are a few examples.
Each Peer to Peer issue has a section titled “Best Practices” reflecting the overall theme of the issue. Much of the best practices have been focused on security as of late. The Winter 2014 issue has an article on data breaches and what ILTA members can do to stay secure: “Defend Against Social Engineering Attacks.” Be sure to check out “Best Practices” in every issue. Here is a link to the current issue and the archives.
ILTA White Papers can also be a great source for best practices. For instance, see the April 2015 White Paper on Information Governance. Each articles provides best practices guidance.
There is still more rich content on various best practices such as this in-depth report on training security awareness, “Change Behaviors Through Security Awareness Training: The Comprehensive Guide”, and recordings of past but recent webinars such as “Minimize Risk and Cost Exposure Through Information Governance.”
POST-MERGER SURVIVAL SKILLS
Has your current or past firm ever gone through a merger or three? There are many personal questions one asks about job security, a new culture and change. These are important issues to consider, and one should also consider the tremendous impact on IT a merger can create. The two merging firms can have different DMS systems, billing, hardware providers and so much more. Attorneys want everything running on day one. A leader who understands the business strategy of the firm can better guide her/his team to a successful integration. Read the Peer to Peer article, “Fusion = Innovation, How to Align Your Firm’s IT and Business Strategies”.
Knowledge management is also a key factor. Be sure to read Ginevra Saylor’s article in the July 2014 ILTA White Paper, “When Firms Combine: A KM Perspective on Law Firm Mergers.”
Even though it’s from 2010, the Booz & Co. paper on what needs to be done before, during and after for IT integration in a merger, “The Role of IT in a Successful Merger Integration”, is still timely. It is not specific to legal technology, but is at the right level to remind us of all we need to do yet not so granular that it leads us astray.
AT Kearney also has a paper discussing how to realize the cost-savings originally sought as part of the merger. See “Make or Break”.