The first rule in the Vermont Rules of Professional Conduct requires lawyers to provide clients with competent representation. I’ve long argued that Rule 1.1’s duty of competence includes tech competence. Last week, the Vermont supreme Court promulgated amendments to Rule 1.1. The amendments add three new comments, including one that makes it clear that, in … Continue reading Court Adopts Comment on Tech Competence
Last week, the Professional Responsibility Board voted to recommend that the Vermont Supreme Court follow the lead of ABA and 31 other states and adopt a duty of tech competence. Specifically, the Board voted to recommend that the Court amend Comment 6 to Rule 1.1 to read as follows: “[6] To maintain the requisite knowledge … Continue reading Got Tech Competence? The VBA Does.
Last week, the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) became the 4th to opine that a lawyer violates the ethics rules by using secret email tracking software. The opinion is here. The opinion was reported by 2Civility . Secret email tracking software?? What is this? 007, Archer, and Get Smart? I wish. Alas, it’s tech competence. As … Continue reading Tech Competence: Don’t Let the Web Bugs Bite
As Olivia might sing, let’s get techical, techical. Last week, the Professional Responsibility Board voted to recommend a series of amendments to the Vermont Rules of Professional Conduct. The package will be forwarded to the Supreme Court for publication for comment. Rule 1.1 requires lawyers to provide clients with competent representation. Among other things, the … Continue reading Tech Competence: Tips and a Conference
I’ve often referred readers to Robert Ambrogi’s LawSites blog. It’s a fantastic resource on issues that lie at the intersection of law & technology. Today, Ambrogi posted a blog entited Judicata Brings A New Dimension to Legal Research: Color. The post refers to Judicata’s announcement of a new tool that uses color as an aid in … Continue reading Tech Competence, Legal Research, and Color-Coded Citations
Do any of these sound familiar? your office’s e-mail server is AOL you use folders within Microsoft Word as your case/document management system you print out hard copies of “important” e-mails & documents your “tech consultant” is someone a friend recommended you haven’t learned much about tech because it’s not “lawyering” and keeps you from … Continue reading Smalls & Solos: Tech Competence Can Help Keep the Train on the Tracks
Last week I stepped off my e-soapbox and blogged that Tech Competence Isn’t Everything: Soft Skills Matter. Today I’m e-jumping back onto the e-soapbox. (Sadly, my e-vertical is infinitely higher than my real vertical was in my playing days.) Tech encompasses things less techy than you think. The Legal Rebels section of the ABA Journal has a very interesting … Continue reading Tech Competence: It includes more than you might think.
I often blog about tech competence. One of my earliest posts was Competence Includes Tech Competence. A search of “tech competence” on this blog produces a lot of posts. 3 of the 4 most-read posts have tech competence tags: The Cloud: What are Reasonable Precautions Social Media & Legal Ethics To Encrypt or Not To … Continue reading Tech Competence Isn’t Everything: Soft Skills Matter
False advertising? Guilty as charged. No, this post isn’t part of my series on Ethics as Access: Using the Rules of Professional Conduct to Increase Access to Legal Services. However, the only reason it isn’t is that the Vermont Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil Procedure has yet to act upon the … Continue reading Tech Competence as Access
Regular readers recognize my refrain: Rule 1.1’s duty of competence includes tech competence. Indeed, I expect the Civil Rules Committee soon to recommend that the Court follow the ABA’s lead and adopt a comment directed towards tech competence. At least 24 states have already done so. I’ve blogged often on tech competence. If you missed … Continue reading Gov’t Lawyers & Tech Competence
