2.0

This is an interesting insight on how lawyers are using social media. They are solving niche by niche, via communities and utilising technology to connect up faster and get to value quicker.

Take LASPOA. That was a great example of instant self forming of a niche community by lawyers. Seconds after publication of a document it would be circulated, all of this being managed by simple hashtags, RT’s and linkage.

Simple, accessible, affordable technology that is easy to use. That is the future of technology.

This could only be done because of what social media provides in terms of speed and cost of delivery ie fast and cheap.

This is what we mean by a social network. This is connectivity.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of regulatory reform, LASPOA etc timelines are showing that social media is working and moving opinion and decisions away from the command and control of the centre, such as the Law Society. I personally think this is very exciting.

This also presents the Law Society with a very real challenge but also an opportunity.

This niche by niche self forming of solutions is where, in my view, lawyers should be actively encouraged to focus.

One of the roles that the Law Society could do more is to encourage and guide firms in this direction, remove the sense of fear and risk, explain and be a guiding light.

We don’t need 900 page guidance notes. But nor do we need slick snake oil gurus talking in gobbledegook jargon. We need a middle ground. We need an environment where lawyers are encouraged to explore.

(Source: legalfutures.co.uk)