The legal profession has long been maligned as resistant to change, and there’s truth to that stereotype—at least when it comes to technology. Whether working in government, public interest or private practice, horror stories abound of attorneys shackled to outmoded applications like Corel WordPerfect and Clinton administration-era editions of the Microsoft Office Suite. Fearing that attempts to revamp the status quo will be met with suspicion or hostility, many millennial lawyers sit silent as their superiors skip over formulas and fill in spreadsheets by hand and print out and re-scan documents instead of directly converting to PDFs.
In my experience, however, older colleagues are often open to learning about time- and cost-saving tech strategies. The key is knowing the time and place to make constructive suggestions and being prepared to help the less tech-savvy conquer the computer learning curve. This includes administrative assistants and other personnel who are essential to the success of your legal team. In addition to streamlining your own day-to-day legal practices, you can reap rewards by deepening your professional relationships and standing out as someone with a can-do attitude and a personal investment in your organization’s success.
