Law Tech: Ideas to Insure Innovation?

The article "50 Ways to Foster a Sustainable Culture of Innovation" by Mitch Ditkoff contains some ideas for building environments helpful to innovation. It seems like people in all sectors of our society are encouraging creativity as the economy struggles even if their not sure what form(s) it should take. A speech delivered by new U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner today emphasized that economic strength is derived from 'the doers, the makers of things' and 'the innovators who create and expand enterprises.' The popularity (or necessity) of the concepts of change and innovation has also hit the law and the legal profession. I notice that large firms especially are touting new departments and expertise in all things 'green'. The same firms are mostly downsizing while trying to figure out how to best serve and attract new business.

Another thing I find interesting is the number of technology and legal theorists predicting profound changes in how legal services will be provided in the near future because of, in large part, new technologies. I'm wondering whether these voices might be sourced in personal disenfranchisement from conventional systems or by a desire to market the technology. In general, however, I am somewhat skeptical about 'timing' as, among other things, I have been listening to debates about the use of cameras in the courtroom for over two decades now. Recently, however, federal judges have allowed journalists to cover court proceedings using Twitter, so, maybe new technology is gaining ground faster.

Nonetheless, there are some antithetical differences (purposes and goals) between the law and engineering/technology that often mar attempts to join them in theory or practice. It seems that law is designed in many respects to slow innovation in order that society can organize and stabilize itself in the midst of change. Also, as society becomes more complex (more information and more technology) more law inevitably follows. Finally, law practice is fundamentally a 'people' profession that often depends upon direct, face-to-face human interaction that communication technologies cannot replace. In any event, I think that Mr. Ditkoff's "50 Ways" article contains some good ideas for lawyers and anyone dealing with the legal profession in times of change and innovation (slow or fast, real or just theoretical).