During the past two years, the legal world has been invaded by the BlackBerry. These small black and blue devices can now be found in almost every one of the larger law firms in the UK and are considered essential equipment for any senior lawyer.
Instead of reading a newspaper on the way to and from work, lawyers can frequently be seen hunched over an unfeasibly small screen, slowly typing cryptic messages on to an even smaller keyboard. The BlackBerry, with its instant e-mail capabilities, has become almost ubiquitous in law firms. But why has an industry so traditionally resistant to technology fallen so hopelessly in love with this gadget? And will the love affair with the BlackBerry endure, or will it turn out to be a passionate but brief affair?
