Alex Babin, co-founder and CEO at ZERØ. (Courtesy photo)

Like it or not, remote work is coming to the legal world. Even among law firms, where I am repeatedly reminded that adoption of technology tends to lag behind other workplaces and industries, the development of policies to accommodate work performed away from the office appears to be a notable trend. In part, this is being driven by increasing numbers of millennials in the legal workforce. According to a 2019 Deloitte survey, nearly 75% of millennials think a "work-from-home" or "work remotely" policy is important. But the changing perspective is also very likely a function of a broader transition in the legal industry toward technology-enabled efficiency.

As the CEO of a legal technology firm, I am reminded by the young lawyers I regularly interact with that, when it comes to mobile technology, their work lives are often conducted with less efficiency than their personal lives. They tell me, for example, that most litigators still carry folders containing case documents every time they enter a courtroom. Many take notes by hand and then type them up later, or have staff do it for them. They may be able to email documents between the courtroom and the office (a practice that presents security risks) but they typically have no way to directly upload or download case documents between a mobile device and the firm's document management system.

If, when they are working from a courtroom or hotel room, lawyers constantly find themselves switching between different toolsets—desktop, laptop, phone and paper—that means they are probably replicating many tasks and dramatically undercutting efficiency in the process. It's no wonder that young practitioners whose work routinely takes them beyond office walls appear to be desperate for domain-specific technology that allows them to do their jobs effectively, wherever they happen to be.

The feedback from young legal professionals that share their experiences through ZERØ's contributor network suggests that their devices are a virtual "command center" for organizing and managing nearly all aspects of their lives. In the professional realm, it is a tool for monitoring, reading and responding to email, for quickly connecting with clients and colleagues, and for reviewing and managing case-related documents. It is also a "hotspot" for connectivity when other options, like airport Wi-Fi, are not secure enough for sensitive communications.

The problem is that most phones are poorly equipped to effectively manage specialized legal tasks with the efficiency of desktop tools, and with the rigorous data security that firms and their clients insist on. Millennial lawyers expect technology that is seamless across laptops, tablets and phones, but law firms are only beginning to grapple with the implications of these requirements. Many of the applications lawyers use most often when they are away from the office will need to be completely redesigned from a mobile-first perspective.

So what do firms need to consider as they get more serious about mobile?

Define goals and objectives. The first thing firms adopting a mobile-first strategy should do is think carefully about their goals in doing so. What is the firm trying to achieve with an initiative that prioritizes mobility? Increased user productivity? More reliable compliance? Greater profitability? Many large software vendors have mobile products that no one uses because they were built for the sake of having mobile technology in their stack—not for solving specific problems for clients and users. To understand where mobile makes the most sense, firms may need to develop formal programs to solicit feedback from lawyers and staff about their frustrations in working remotely, and prioritize accordingly.

Focus on specific use cases, then measure effectiveness. Although it may vary somewhat from firm to firm, a legal professional's workflow is typically well-defined. Firms must look internally and ask: Which part of the legal workflow should we improve first? Where will seamless mobility bring the most value to our users and our clients? Because communication and access to information have always been core functions of mobility in other contexts, many firms start by evaluating legal mobile technology solutions for email, case management and document management. Whichever solutions the firm chooses to focus on, tools to measure user satisfaction and productivity should be incorporated into the product and regularly monitored to gauge success and target areas for improvement.

Address security concerns. Mobile typically requires a different approach and different infrastructure requirements than on-premises solutions. It brings new questions to the table, and chief among them is security. Traditionally, law firms operate in a well-defined security perimeter, where everything that is mission-critical operates and is stored within well-guarded walls. Mobile devices require users to operate outside of this perimeter.

While VPNs and reverse-proxies may provide a sufficient level of security for critical operations, law firms have hesitated to embrace mobility, especially when data must be moved or processed outside of the security perimeter because of security concerns. However, edge computing, whereby data is processed directly on the mobile device—at the "edge" of the network instead of at a data center—is poised to mitigate most of these security concerns. With edge computing, technology can be delivered via mobile device management (MDM), which allows IT departments to effectively and continually monitor, manage and secure employees' mobile devices across multiple mobile service providers and operating systems.

When legal professionals can function with the same level of efficiency regardless of when and where they are working, their time is better spent and morale soars. While the evaluation and implementation of mobile technology may seem time-consuming and expensive, a careful, iterative approach to change can save firms money and time in the long run by improving efficiency and productivity. That's something lawyers of all generations can cheer about.

Alex Babin is co-founder and CEO at ZERØ. An entrepreneur who has spent the last 10 years building both B2C and B2B technology companies, his focus today is on driving legal innovation (through AI and smart automation) that significantly improves the lives of attorneys and enables them to bill more in the process.