Attorney Competence in Technology Is in the Spotlight. Are You Competent?
In response to widespread changes in the use of technology, and evaluating the potential risks of remote work and the rise of virtual meeting platforms, the ABA made it clear that lawyers are permitted to conduct their practices virtually, but urges caution at all times.
June 18, 2021 at 09:00 AM
8 minute read
Early ethics rules date back to 1908. The current ABA Model Rule 1.1 on Competence, adopted in 1983, addresses the client-lawyer relationship with a focus on legal skill:
"A lawyer shall provide competent representation to a client. Competent representation requires the legal knowledge, skill, thoroughness and preparation reasonably necessary for the representation."
Attorney Competence Includes an Understanding of Technology
By 2010, Amicus Attorney and a handful of other practice management platforms were cloud based, and the industry was buzzing about cloud technology and data security. Early email programs such as Hotmail were replaced by the first release of Microsoft Outlook.com in 2012. Attorney adoption of tools for mobile and remote work had captured our imagination. A 2012 ABA Technology survey reported that 33% of respondents overall were using a tablet for work outside of the office — with iPad being the most popular one.
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