b'28 Local Government Lawyervery comfortable using them when wevepredicting a substantial (that is 10%+)could use and to make a business case to something that we dont have availableincrease in their legal technology budgets. invest in it, the councils legal director Mark ourselves. I think the relationship is probablyThere are a number of reasons for this Hynes told delegates. One of the drivers better than it has been in recent years. budgetary issues, compatibility with councilfor this is recapturing some of the work This is in part because the terms ofIT infrastructures and a lack of bespokethat currently goes out by improving your engagement between departmentsproducts for local government in some areasworkflows and becoming more efficient.and private practice have become moreto name just some. Its the added securityLooking further ahead, it was suggested sophisticated in recent years. Some, such aslayers and the fact that things dont mashthat local authority legal departments need Croydon with Browne Jacobson, have optedtogether particularly well when youve gotto keep themselves aware of developments for a single supplier model, while somea case management system and thats thein legal technology and in particular, the of the regionally-based consortiasuchfrustration, said one delegate. applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and as EM LawShare or the North West LegalThis latter problem can be solved toblockchain on legal practice. While some Consortiumhave settled on relativelysome extent by using apps that operate inof the claims for AI in the legal sector are small panels of law firms to ensure that theythe cloud (i.e. remotely via the internet)somewhat exaggerated, there is little doubt obtain greater valueboth financial andrather than being installed within councilsthat it will affect key areas of legal practice addedfrom the law firms they use. own IT infrastructures where compatibilityin years to come and legal teams may find Sam McGinty, the Head of Legal Servicesissues can occur (although it was notedthey need to embrace and utilise these of Loughborough University and boardthat in some departments, moving totechnologies if they are not be consumed member of EM LawShare, told the sessioncloud-based applications can also move theby them.that the consortiums experience was thatbudget responsibility from IT to legal too). I think that legal services has got a less is more when working with law firms.But the biggest barrier seems to beparticular challenge over the next five By limiting the size of EM LawShares panelcoming up with a demonstrable wayyears, Hynes said. Blockchain is something (currently just seven firms), those firms thatof showing how the adoption of legalthat I cant pretend I still really understand do make it onto the panel are more willingtechnology can provide a return on thebut it is a reality fast approaching. The and able to invest in and deepen theirinvestment required within a reasonableLand Registry, for example, are currently relationships with consortium members. timeframe. Sean OConnell, the vice- looking at putting all their digital records on I think the ability to have externalpresident for marketing at legal technologyBlockchain. It could pretty much overnight firms of lawyers that you can treat as anprovider CaseLines, suggested to delegatesget rid of the need for a conveyancing extension to your teamand who clientsthat the vendors and producers of specialistlawyer because once the title has been put can see as an extension to your teamhassoftware should always be asked to helpon the blockchain application theres no lots of benefits, he said. This extends tomake the case for IT investment. more need to ever investigate title.assistance from law firms with recruitment,We absolutely can and we will alwaysMore and more of these applications secondments, shared training contractshelp with ROI, he said. Weve got plentywill come to fruition, the big areas and enabling external lawyers to takeof data for the implementations we do andare around procurement, contracts, instructions from and work with clientsvendors will work with you to understandmanagement and conveyancing. Blockchain directly. exactly what youre doing and use theis held back a bit because of the uncertainty They know our business well enoughdata points that we have from previousaround things like Bitcoin but thats a that I can trust them to have direct clientexperience to help you to make that costvery small part of it. Estonia already uses conversations when Im not there. Buildingjustification. Blockchain to run all of their elections. It is that more trusted relationship helps you getA further reason for low levels ofgoing to be a big player.more value from them and their willingnessinvestment in legal technology is that the to do more things for you increases. I dontutilisation of the legal technology that localDerek Bedlow is the publisher of Local know that we would have necessarily gotauthorities do have has not always beenGovernment Lawyer. He can be reached at that level of engagement a few years ago. the most effective, which does not alwaysderek.bedlow@localgovernmentlawyer.engender confidence in further investmentsco.uk.Heads on the block? in IT. To this end, Waltham Forest council has Improving efficiency through the use of legalappointed a legal technology officer (with an technology would seem like an obvious wayIT background) to ensure that the councils to square the circle of rising demand andlegal team is getting the most out of the a lack of available lawyers. Yet the surveytechnology that it has and build a case for of heads of legal showed that spending onfurther investments in legal IT.legal technology is not set to rise markedlyFor us its about having the resource to in the foreseeable future, with just 2%look at what is emerging and see what we'