After discussing Web 2.0 in the last class, I started thinking about how behind I am with modern technical trends. Ten years ago I considered myself to be technically savvy, but today I have a bit of an “I hate technology” mindset. So I started thinking about why this was and I came up with the conclusion that economics of practicing law forces attorneys to lose their interest in technology. If I had a computer issue when I first started practicing law I tried to fix it myself, but learned quickly that trying to fix a computer problem or installing a new program was not how they wanted me to spend my time. After all, every hour I spent messing around with the computer was one less billable hour for the firm. I don’t know if all attorneys are discouraged from handling their own computer issues, but I suspect they are. So the question is, does being discouraged from handling your own computer issues result in attorneys losing interest in technology in general. With me it did and I will have to change that if I wish to be successful as a law librarian. Now flipping to the other side of the coin, if the economics of practicing law discourages attorneys from being technically savvy then law librarians will be more important than ever.
I agree that even though I knew more about computers than the IT guys at my old job, they didn't want me messing around with the computers. I was discouraged from fixing problems myself and it was very frustrating to have to wait for IT to come to my office. I know a lot of attorneys who just fell behind with regard to new technologies and part of the problem is the fast pace of the work and the billable hours issue. I was lucky that I worked from 9-5 and kept up with technology in my free time. It didn't hurt that the head of IT was a good friend.
ReplyDeleteI think this means that the law librarian and the IT department will become very important to attorneys (if they aren't already). Lawyers' time is used in such a way that they can't do everything themselves. Enter the librarian who can probably search the database faster than the attorney anyway. ;)