There is no finish line. There isn’t even a pause button. Technology continues to evolve at an exponential pace. Yet, while there is no finish line, this column is goodbye, for me, for now.

Data has a useful life. It expires. But lifespans differ. Business value, regulatory requirements and legal holds affect how long data should be kept.

Technology training will only continue to increase in importance. Time should not be used as a surrogate for learning when we can measure learning directly. Technology can help us deliver training in a more effective, tailored fashion.

Our law firms need to be more efficient, tech savvy, innovative, process-oriented, cost-effective, pro-active… and other vague adjectives. What do those things actually look like? Would we know it if we saw it? Would we reward it if we found it?

One of the greatest kindnesses I ever performed for outside counsel was to require them to follow a formal proofreading process.

For it to be anything other than a toy, the new technology has to be integrated into a workflow designed to maximize its impact. The technology must be adapted to your people, and your people must adapt to the technology

Lawyers learn the law in law school. But “the law” is limited in scope. Many laws exist beyond the confines of the civil and criminal codes. The laws of physics and arithmetic predate the laws of man and largely drive the laws of technology with which lawyers should become familiar.

With respect to the nonlegal aspects of lawyering, the presumption of competence is rightly giving way to a different dynamic: trust, but verify.

Technology gives us far more control — and the price we pay for increased control is increased accountability.

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