Law Times

Law TiMes • March 8, 2010 NEWS Small firms facing IT challenges But help available for lawyers without in-house technical support BY DARYL-LYNN CARLSON For Law Times day-to-day reliability of their informa- tion technology systems. Generally, fi rms with less than 20 or I 30 lawyers don't have the means to pay for an in-house IT professional, so their computer systems can be vulnerable to glitches, crashes, and idiosyncrasies that can, in a worst-case scenario, put business on hold. Coupled with lawyers' increased reli- ability on software programs to facilitate business outside of the offi ce using re- mote technologies, it's imperative that the fi rm's IT system is dependable. Keith Landy is aware of the challenges. He's a founding partner at Landy Marr Kats LLP, a civil litigation fi rm in north Toronto that has fi ve lawyers, several in- terns, and more than a dozen support staff . It has retained Animate Systems Inc., which was founded by technology expert Karim Jinnah. As a teenager, he had a passion for technology but went to law school to get a degree to learn how he could tailor his services for law fi rms. Landy says that with Animate's servic- es, his fi rm has few worries about system t's a big challenge and often an onerous expense for small law fi rms to ensure the viability and malfunctions. Lawyers, in particular, are now able to rely on the fi rm's IT system to leverage remote technologies such as BlackBerrys while at the court- house. As a result, they have access to their calendar program to schedule fu- ture meetings and court appearances. "We all have BlackBerrys, so we've been able to integrate our calendars with our desktop computers," says Landy. "If you're in court, you can access your diary to be able to schedule trial dates under the pressure of a judge's gaze," he explains with a touch of humour. "Of course, large fi rms all have a full- time IT person," he adds. "But with tech- nology changing, we pride ourselves in trying to be on top of the latest." Landy's fi rm, then, has deemed IT a priority, although he notes that generally "the legal profession is still relatively anti- quated in how it does business." Th rough Animate, which provides the fi rm with full-time IT support, Landy says it has achieved its goal of staying ahead of the curve. "We have a central server that all the lawyers and support staff are on and if we run into a problem, it can be resolved through remote access," says Landy. Should a problem arise, a technician logs on remotely, "and they can access the server or the local desktop and fi x the problem. It's not inexpensive; it's the cost of doing business. But it's certainly a lot less expensive than having a full-time IT specialist on staff ." Jinnah, Animate's president, has chan- nelled his expertise into helping fi rms sustain their technological capabilities through a focus on the legal profession. "We typically work for fi rms that don't have an in-house IT department," he says. "Th ese are usually fi rms that have up to about 60 users in total, for which having a full-time internal IT person can be cost prohibitive. "Even if the fi rm could aff ord it, they would then be limited to the skill set of a single individual rather than a team with diverse skills." Animate, which until now has been serving fi rms largely within the Greater Toronto Area, is assessing its prospects for growth. For now, its staff are able to work with fi rms beyond Toronto by liaising with respective IT contractors elsewhere to help resolve problems. "Our primary job is to ensure that the fi rm's practice is not interrupted by IT problems," says Jinnah. "Ensur- ing you have a reliable backup system that is regularly tested and a method to take data off -site are the most im- portant IT procedures in the fi rm." Cheryl Siran, a lawyer with Hook Seller Lundin LLP in Kenora, Ont., agrees it's a challenge for smaller fi rms to maintain reliable IT systems, especially in more remote places. "All I can say is that we wait for the computer system to crash, and when it does, we make emergency calls," says Siran musingly. "We do have a com- pany we use in town, but the diffi culty in a small town is that while they are good, they're only available between the hours of nine and fi ve." Siran notes the new Rules of Civil Procedure in Ontario that mandate electronic discoveries and accommo- date a greater use of technology require smaller fi rms to depend on their IT sys- tems even more. "Th e more technology we have, the more technical support we're going to need," she says. Th e fi rm has fi ve lawyers and 12 support staff and is involved in sig- nifi cant litigation matters in courts throughout Ontario. "Computers have become an increas- ingly bigger issue for us particularly, and there's a push for all law fi rms to think about a paperless offi ce," Siran says. "But because our offi ce is big enough, it can be very costly to keep all the com- puters updated and the network running smoothly just because of the volume of material on our system." LT Lawyers thinking globally to deliver relief BY ROBERT TODD Law Times charitable organization that aims to help eliminate child poverty in Africa through fi nancial assis- tance to aid organizations. Th e Lawyers' International M Food Enterprise, or LIFE, has partnered with World Vision and the Stephen Lewis Foundation to help translate lawyers' fi nancial support into tangible relief. It has already raised $175,000 across the province since late last year. Jonathan Lisus, a partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP and a founding member and director of LIFE, says the organization's embers of Ontario's legal community last week launched a new goals fi t with the new global out- look of the legal profession. "Th e world is getting smaller," Lisus, who grew up in South Afri- ca, told Law Times in an interview before the organization's launch last week. "Our responsibilities to our fellow people are reaching be- yond our clients, the courts, and the people we serve, and the or- ganization really thinks it's impor- tant for lawyers to look up, look around the world, and look where they can make contributions." LIFE is directing the funds it raises to the Stephen Lewis Foundation's eff orts to support community-based organizations battling HIV and AIDS in Af- rica and World Vision's Survive Five project in Tanzania. Th at eff ort aims to turn the tide on malnutrition, malaria and other preventable diseases, pneumonia, and diarrhea, all key threats to the survival of children under the age of fi ve in developing nations. Some of the leading members legal community of Canada's have already pledged their sup- port to the fl edgling organiza- tion. Supreme Court of Canada Justice Ian Binnie and Ontario Chief Justice Warren Winkler have signed on as patrons. Th e board of directors includes the driving force behind the orga- nization's creation, Malcolm MacKillop of Shields O'Donnell MacKillop LLP, and its advisory board includes Law Society of Upper Canada Treasurer Derry Millar and former federal justice minister and current University Fish on Legal Research DVD Bonnie Fish, LL.B., LL.M. Canada Law BookNew! A CONVENIENT TRAINING TOOL TO HELP YOU TEACH THE FUNDAMENTALS DVD • $287 • P/C 0767150002 Additional DVDs $15 each • P/C 0767150003 ISBN 978-0-88804-495-2 Call 1.800.565.6967 or visit us online canadalawbook.ca Fish on Legal Research (LT 1-4x5).indd 1 of Ottawa president Allan Rock. In an address to the audience at LIFE's launch in Toronto last week, Lewis said the organiza- tion will contribute to the battle against HIV and AIDS where it matters most. "Th e only way you respond to that kind of human predicament is at the grassroots, is at the com- munity level," he said. "You can't do it in some kind of austere series of announcements on high. You have to be working with the girls and the women in the fi eld." For more information to make a donation, visit life lawyers.ca. or LT To see a video of this event, go to www.law timesnews.com. 'Our responsibilities to our fellow people are reaching beyond our clients, the courts, and the people we serve,' says Jonathan Lisus. PAGE 3 This DVD will help you teach effective research on: Commentary (approx. 18 minutes) The role of commentary in legal research and helpful guidance on where to find it. This DVD explains how to: • analyze legal subjects • formulate legal issues • find useful commentary • use commentary to find relevant case law and legislation Case Law (approx. 25 minutes) How and where to find appropriate and relevant case law. Divided into two segments, this section helps researchers understand: • why case law is important and the principles to identify significant cases • the process of finding case law on a specific issue Legislation (approx. 25 minutes) Helpful hints on where to find relevant legislation and what to do with it once you have it. It deals with: • the legislative process • techniques for finding legislation • statutory interpretation Outlines the necessary steps for thorough, precise and accurate research Lacklustre skills in the library mean less-than-favourable results in the courtroom and boardroom. Lawyers need sharp research skills to serve their clients well. www.lawtimesnews.com 3/3/10 10:09:28 AM

• Cover
• Thinking Globally
• Bankruptcy Woes
• Focus On Immigration Law