MetaJure has teamed up with LexisNexis Managed Technology Services, one of the most highly -regarded platforms in the legal tech space to offer MetaJure products in the Cloud. Today, in recognition of this announcement, we publish the first of a  two-part Q&A with thought leader Jesse Alexander, VP for LexisNexis Managed Technology Services.  In this first installment, Jesse shares his tips for helping lawyers embrace new technologies.

  • MetaJure: What have you learned about MetaJure and what intrigues you about MetaJure’s approach to smart document management?
    A.: Over the last 6 months, we have worked closely with MetaJure’s executive and technical teams to develop a tailored cloud infrastructure to optimize their solution.  During this time I have been struck by their passion for document management and understanding of attorney workflows.
  • MetaJure: We know lawyers are generally considered “late adopters” of innovation and often resistant to change but the volume of emails, documents and other digital content continues to grow exponentially.  At the same time, lawyers’ clients are pressing for more price and service transparency and efficiencies.  With these two forces on a collision path, will this open the door for acceptance of next gen knowledge management and smart apps?
    A.: Yes, definitely!  The exponential growth of digital content plus pricing and service transparency is going to force lawyers to finally become full adopters.  They will have to cease using primarily paper-based systems which don’t sync with billing and litigation tools automatically.  Lawyers who refuse to adopt technology will soon see their business opportunities diminish.
  • MetaJure: What do you think will be the key factors in helping move both lawyers and IT professionals to embrace new technologies?
    A.: Time has always been the greatest commodity.  This is especially true in the legal industry.  Attorneys are incredibly busy with demanding and rigorous schedules that don’t readily allow the time to learn about new technologies let alone embrace them.  That said, in the current climate with big data changing the practice of law, failure to embrace and adopt technology is no longer an option.  Most lawyers who have been practicing for 10 years or less are very familiar with the user interface (UI) often associated with newer technology: they want to use the tools!  So, making sure that the managing partners of firms embrace the change is the essential secret sauce: get them comfortable, show them how to use the technology (not just once, but on-going!) and help them operate in the new paradigm.

Check back next week for Jesse’s advice to legal tech companies about the issues their products must address if they expect to see widespread adoption.

By combining the efficiency of MetaJure’s automated DMS with the security of LexisNexis’s powerful cloud, customers get world class document management performance in a trusted environment – whether they choose behind their firewall or in the cloud.  Contact MetaJure for more information at www.metajure.com or 206-535-7030.