Legal Commentary

As law firms and law departments struggle to thrive in the new economy, they look to technology to help them navigate. George Rudoy, director of global practice technology and information services at Shearman & Sterling, predicts key trends for the year ahead ? one of our new videos on our newly revamped Law Technology News website. (We launched it late last year; it merges the former LTN site with the wonderful Law.com technology site, and is co-managed by my colleague Sean Doherty et moi!)

Rudoy and Australia's Michelle Mahoney, of Mallesons Stephen Jaques ? for the second year in a row ? wrote LTN's January cover story about how we're all coping with the economic turmoil of the last 18 months. In this year's  "Swim or Sink" they explore the sometimes counter-intuitive ways that law firms and law departments are approaching the business of law.

Rudoy and Mahoney are among the voices (which include Foley & Lardner's Doug Caddell) who insist that the days of "doing more with less are over." Instead, they argue that it's time to rethink IT.

Rudoy says IT leaders should get more involved with the business of law. A conversation with IT should not be about applications and infrastructure, says Rudoy. It should be about how technology can help lawyers provide legal services and conduct business, including development and marketing.