In an ideal world, attorneys should have a thorough grip on the technology being used during depositions, motions, and trials. However, many attorneys focus solely on legal matters and leave the technology to their paralegals. Thus, paralegals greatly benefit from being experts in the latest legal technology.
In fact, one prediction for paralegals in 2015 is that the demand for paralegals that are experts in technology will significantly increase. Most people in the IT field are not interested in legal training, and most legal firms do not have the means to implement extensive technology training for their staff. Thus, coming in with a strong knowledge of the technology used in the legal field should put you at a competitive advantage.
Ethics and confidentiality ties into the use of technology, too, since some types of digital storage are more easily compromised than others. Maintaining client confidentiality is of critical importance, and cloud based storage of files pose increased risk of hacking. This issue is so important that almost every state bar has a policy on cloud storage.
Many lawyers rely on technological tools such as Opus 2 or CaseMap to organize their data, so being an expert in these types of software will enable you to help attorneys organize their data to prepare depositions and present information in motions or during a trial.
The old way of doing trials with Elmos and exhibit boards is giving way to digital presentations that are more likely to impress jurors. TrialDirector is one of the powerful new technological tools for presentations at trials. Being a master of this cutting edge software should greatly enhance your ability to be competitive in the field.
