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Nine in 10 U.S. Lawyers Now Using Smart Phones for Work Tasks, According to ALM Legal Intelligence Mobile Technology Survey
[November 28, 2011]

Nine in 10 U.S. Lawyers Now Using Smart Phones for Work Tasks, According to ALM Legal Intelligence Mobile Technology Survey


NEW YORK --(Business Wire)--

U.S. lawyers have eagerly embraced mobile devices such as smart phones and tablet computers to help them perform work-related tasks while on the move, but are doing so without the necessary support to help them use these technologies to their full potential, according to a new survey from ALM Legal Intelligence.

The survey of 266 lawyers in both private law firms and in-house legal departments was conducted between October 13th and 24th, 2011. The survey report, "Productivity in the Legal Profession: The Impact of Mobile Technology," is available now at www.almlegalintelligence.com.

The survey found that nearly 9 in 10 respondents use a smart phone for work purposes and 40 percent use tablets. Yet while these mobile platforms offer a wide range of technological capabilities, only 13 percent of respondents use them mostly in lieu of their PCs. More than 90 percent reported the primary benefit of using their mobile devices is simply to keep tabs on their email.

According to the survey, a major factor that may be hindering the more sophisticated use of mobile devices is the lack of support from their law firms or in-house law departments. Nearly 40 percent of respondents who use a smart phone and 54 percent of those who use a tablet do so without any official assistance from their law firm or department management.

"As a group, lawyers have not won fame as evangelists of technology," said Nigel Holloway, vice president of research at ALM Legal Intelligence. "ut they have been using mobile tools long enough to know two things: don't expect miracles and any feature that can spur productivity should be leveraged for all its worth."



According to Holloway, other notable findings from the survey included:

  • A significant minority of lawyers is using their smart phone or tablet to assist in business development: 18 percent listed it as one of the three functions for which they use their mobile device most. Social networking sites, in particular, are being leveraged with the use of mobile apps for services such as LinkedIn and Twitter (News - Alert) to connect clients with colleagues quickly.
  • To enhance the security of mobile devices, some law firms and legal departments have started using mobile device management software. These tools give employers greater control over how the devices are used, such as restricting certain apps, but 53 percent of users on these platforms say this has limited the usefulness of their smart phone or tablet.
  • So far, few clients are asking questions about how lawyers are securing the data-including confidential client information-that resides on, or is transmitted from, their mobile devices. Nearly a quarter of respondents don't use a password, and 17 percent don't even know how their device is secured. Less than 40 percent say their device can be wiped remotely-a key security measure.
  • Courts, by contrast, are imposing many restrictions: More than 40 percent of respondents say they have faced limits on smart phone or tablet use in the courtroom, including being told to turn off the devices. Compounding the problem, even when the rules permit use, some judges discourage it.

About ALM Legal Intelligence


ALM Legal Intelligence offers detailed business information for and about the legal industry, focused on the top U.S. and international law firms. The division's online research Web service, www.almlegalintelligence.com, provides subscribers with direct, on-demand access to ALM Legal Intelligence's extensive database of surveys, rankings and lists related to law firms and the legal industry. ALM Legal Intelligence is a division of ALM.

About ALM

ALM, an integrated media company, is a leading provider of specialized business news, research and information, focused primarily on the legal and commercial real estate sectors. ALM's market-leading brands include The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, GlobeSt.com, Insight Conferences, Law.com, Law Journal Press, LegalTech, The National Law Journal and Real Estate Forum. Headquartered in New York City, ALM was formed in 1997. For more information, visit www.alm.com.

ALM, The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, GlobeSt.com, Insight Conferences, Law.com, Law Journal Press, Law Technology News, LegalTech, The National Law Journal and Real Estate Forum are trademarks or registered trademarks of ALM Media Properties, LLC.


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