Move over algorithms and analytics… API was the hot buzzword at this year’s AALL Meeting and Conference in Denver.  It seemed that every vendor had an API to pitch. I attended a “Standing Room Only” program, The Law Library’s Role in Data Integration, APIs and Attorney Workflow Initiatives, which provided a goldmine of practical tips, experience and wisdom. The program was moderated by Dave DiCicco, Sr. Director Product Management LexisNexis. The panelists included: Erik Adams, Manager of Library Digital Initiatives. Sidley Austin; Pam Noyd, Information Resources Manager, Foley & Lardner LLP; Emily Rushing, Director Competitive Intelligence, Haynes & Boone LLP; Keli Whitnell, Senior Experience Database Mgr. Troutman Sanders.

The  law library has been in a process of deconstruction. Over the past decades codes, cases and commentary have been untethered from print. Now algorithms and analytics surface patterns of data extracted from commercial and internal sources.

Even before COVID-19 accelerated the death of the print library, law librarians had begun developing portals using APIs to deliver widgets,  continue reading on LegalTech Hub

Part 2 of this post including a Checklist for evaluating APIs will be posted later this week.

I know it’s the lazy days of summer – but you can still take a few minutes to share your expertise with your colleagues.

After a pandemic induced hiatus I have posted a new  “Start/Stop Survey” where you can share your wisdom on the products and projects you have started and shttp://link.topped since March 2020. Tell your colleagues “what’s hot and what’s not! The http://link.urvey will take less than 5 minutes to complete.

Over the past week I have gotten numerous emails thanking me for restarting the survey. But survey is nothing without you! Your colleagues are anxious to get your insights into products and projects that thrived of fizzled.

The results will be posted here and I will participate in a live presentation in conjunction with  HBR’s second annual Legal Information + Knowledge Services Conference (LINKS)

The Survey will close on Friday August 19th.

My apologies I just learned that the link that was posted yesterday did not work. Here is the correct link.

After a pandemic induced hiatus I have posted a new  “Start/Stop Survey” where you can share your wisdom on the products and projects you have started and shttp://link.topped since March 2020. Tell your colleagues “what’s hot and what’s not! The http://link.urvey will take less than 5 minutes to complete.

Over the past week I have gotten numerous emails thanking me for restarting the survey. But survey is nothing without you! Your colleagues are anxious to get your insights into products and projects that thrived of fizzled.

The results will be posted here and I will participate in a live presentation in conjunction with  HBR’s second annual Legal Information + Knowledge Services Conference (LINKS)

The Survey will close on Friday August 12th.

My apologies I just learned that the link that was posted yesterday did not work. Here is the correct link.

After a pandemic induced hiatus I have posted a new  “Start/Stop Survey” where you can share your wisdom on the products and projects you have started and shttp://link.topped since March 2020. Tell your colleagues “what’s hot and what’s not! The http://link.urvey will take less than 5 minutes to complete.

Over the past week I have gotten numerous emails thanking me for restarting the survey. But survey is nothing without you! Your colleagues are anxious to get your insights into products and projects that thrived of fizzled.

The results will be posted here and I will participate in a live presentation in conjunction with  HBR’s second annual Legal Information + Knowledge Services Conference (LINKS)

The Survey will close on Friday August 12th.

Bloomberg Law has posted a short but fascinating documentary Steven Davis and Rise and Fall of Dewey LeBoeuf. Ten years after the spectacular collapse of the ALM 100 law firm, former Chairman Steve Davis  broke his silence. No other former partners agreed to be interviewed for the documentary. Commentary by David Lat, Founder of Above the Law; Vivien Chen, legal analyst at Bloomberg Law and   Prof. David Wilkens, Director of the Center for the Legal Profession at Harvard Law School is woven into the Davis narrative.

Dewey LeBoeuf was not the first ALM 100 firm to collapse.  Heller, Brobeck, Howrey,  Coudert Brothers all succumbed to the mysterious alchemy of missteps, hubris and  changed law firm economics. Dewey LeBoeuf has the distinction of being the first truly “white shoe” law firm to join this solemn procession. They were also the first collapse to result in the indictment of law firm leaders. Lat refers to  Dewey LeBoeuf as “The Lehman collapse of the legal world.”

According to Davis market forces as well as  prestigious consultants suggested in 2005  that LeBoeuf  either needed to shrink into a boutique or find a merger partner  and transform itself into a  “super firm.” The firm opted to grow and began a spectacularly aggressive recruiting spree which included enticing Ralph Ferrara  to leave Debevoise  with a $16 million sign on bonus. For the first time law firm partners were being recruited and paid like athletes. The high risk strategy worked … until it didn’t.  The American Lawyer  described LeBoeuf as a “rainmaker magnet.” But a revolving door spins partners  “in” as well as “out”. And when a group of  rainmakers threatened to leave, Davis  found a merger partner in Dewey Ballantine one of the whitest of white shoe firms where profits per partner had been in decline. The merger took place on October 1, 2007.

Continue Reading Ten Years On – Bloomberg Law Releases Documentary on the Collapse of Dewey LeBoeuf

After a short break, the Start/Stop survey is back! This survey is intended to  gather feedback on both products and projectswhich you started or stopped since the  start of the pandemic,(March 2020) through the present. 

Please take a few minutes to respond to the survey at this link.

The Dewey B Strategic blog has partnered with HBR Consulting to bring you the latest Start/Stop survey.   I will be joining with an industry veteran from HBR to present and discuss the results of combined with insights from  the Start Stop Survey and HBR’s BLISS survey.

A presentation focused on the survey results will be featured at HBR’s second annual Legal Information + Knowledge Services Conference (LINKS) on Thursday, September 15, 2022. Proceeds from LINKS ticket sales will cover technology costs for the event and a donation to the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) George A. Strait Minority Scholarship & Fellowship fund.

Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. showcased a portfolio of new and recently enhanced solutions for legal professionals at the 2022 American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Annual Meeting and Conference, in Denver last week. New tools include a Dashboard for VitalLaw Law & Regs, Sharepoint integration, Securities Enforcement Analyzer and an Arbitrator and Awards Analyzer.

“The demand for legal technology is being driven by the information explosion and increased regulation, putting more pressure on legal professionals across the country,” said Ken Crutchfield, Vice President & General Manager of Legal Markets for Wolters Continue Reading Wolters Kluwer Releases Sharepoint Integration, New Dashboard and Previews Analyzers At AALL

Lex Machina, a LexisNexis company,  released  a new legal analytics tool “State Motion Metrics”. State Motion Metrics provides insights which can be used to develop a motion strategy or identify the best arguments in state motion practice. State Motion Metrics is available for four Delaware state courts, including the Delaware Court of Chancery. Motion metrics are also available for the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Lex Machina plans to roll out State Motion Metrics in more courts later this year.

“Our analytics allow users to understand motion strategy, including judges’ past behavior with dynamic grant/denial rates, as well as the cases and documents to back up that research,” said Karl Harris, CEO of Lex Machina. “Lex Machina is the best analytics tool to Continue Reading Lex Machina Launches State Motion Metrics -Webcast Demo on July 28th

Earlier  this week,  LexisNexis Legal & Professional     unveiled the upcoming availability of Lexis+ Fact & Issue Finder, at  the American Association of Law Libraries conference . This new feature enables litigators to identify caselaw relevant to the specific  facts and  issues of their client’s case. The new offering covers six litigation practice areas – Personal Injury, Labor & Employment, Insurance, Real Estate, Intellectual Property, and Business & Commercial – with additional practice areas planned.

I met with Jeff Pfeifer, LexisNexis Chief Product Officer during the Conference  to get an overview of the  Lexis+ Fact and Issue Finder.  Pfeifer  alluded to a “abyss of information” which practically paralyses an associate faced with so much precedent and so many research tools.  The Fact & Issue Finder is focused on helping lawyers locate the most factually relevant cases quickly.  According to Pfeifer the product grew out of an attempt to completely deconstruct the research process. The developers used feedback from more than 1,000 customer interactions in order to understand the research experience and address specific pain points. One important goal is to eliminate the “fractured” research process by delivering a set of unified results in a single dashboard.

 

 

Fact & Issue Finder is designed from the ground up to mimic the exact processes that legal professionals perform when researching Continue Reading Associates Flailing in the “Abyss of Information” – Lexis+ Fact and Issue Finder Promises Relief  

The American Association of Law Libraries Annual Meeting and Conference will be held July 16th -19th in Denver, Colorado. I will be speaking on two panels.

Key Law Library Trends 2022 and Beyond

I will be joining a panel moderated  by Ken Crutchfield VP and General Manager of Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory. The panel includes Cynthia Brown of Littler and Saskia Mehlhorn of Norton Rose Fulbright. We will discuss hot topics including the evolution of hybrid work. the “Great Resignation” and the impacts of inflation.

Shamelss Self-Promotion for Law Librarians: How to Get Visible, Benefit Your Career, and Impact You Profession ( While Having Fun)

Our profession has impactful ideas to share that benefit not only our library departments but also our broader organizations and the legal industry. We need more voices in our community to ensure that these ideas are heard and that the value of the law librarian is championed. Greg Lambert   (2 Geeks and the Law and Geek in Review Podcast)  and Jean O’Grady ( Dewey B Strategic and Legal Tech Hub)  will share  ideas, experience and impacts of their social media activities. They will discuss  their efforts to promote the value of information professionals and law librarians. Not everyone has to be a blogger or have a podcast but we all have an important role to play. Joanne Kiley of HRB will moderate a lively discussion.