The Gazette 1995

GAZETTE

NOVEMBER 1995

T E C H N O L O G Y

N O T E

The Internet and Its Opportunities for the Legal Profession

Each year, the Technology Commi t t ee organises an exhibition and c on f e r en ce dealing with an aspect o f technology which has implications on how lawyers manage their office and which tries to anticipate technology issues which will be o f interest to clients. No one can have failed to notice the raised profile of the Internet in the past 12 months. The media have latched on to the idea o f the Internet as a symbol o f the advances in communications and computing and large numbers o f c omme r c i al organisations now do a significant amount of business over "the Net". The commercialisation of the Internet has implications for lawyers as well as their client and it is hoped that this year's c on f e r en ce will give some insight into the opportunities the Internet offers to lawyers. The c on f e r en ce will be o f interest to those in small and medium sized practices as well as the larger offices as all have clients whose business will be affected in the c ommun i c a t i ons revolution. T he benefits which electronic communications have to offer the lawyer's practice does not distinguish between large and small offices.

President's Hall, Blackhall Place, Dublin 7 on Friday 10 Nov emb er 1995. T he C L E brochure enclosed with this copy of the Gazette contains full details o f the c on f e r en ce program. The conference brings to Ireland s ome o f the leading figures involved in formulating government and c omme r c i al policy concerning the "Information Supe r h i ghwa y" and its use by business interests. The importance of the conference is underscored by the fact that it will be chaired by Dermot Gleeson SC, Attorney General. Leading London barrister James Behrens has recently published a ma j or report on the use and potential o f electronic communications for lawyers. He will give an outline of his findings and the uses the lawyer can make o f electronic communications. Law librarian Síobhán Heney will give a talk on the sources o f legal information available in the Internet, exploring those which can be accessed at no cost and the benefits of the pay as you go services. John O'Donnell will raise some of the legal issues

In the afternoon sessions, Paul Vandoren, a senior official o f the European Commi s s i on will give an outline of the perspective o f the European Commi s s i on concerning the Internet and its development. Brad Smith, the Senior European Attorney with Microsoft, the world's largest software house, will conclude the formal part o f the c on f e r en ce with a presentation of the business potential which the communications revolution has to offer. The re follows a Question and Answer session which will allow delegates to revisit some of the issues which were covered in the course of the day. An exhibition of equipment will run concurrently with the conference. The exhibitors are mainly suppliers who specialise in supplying equipment to the legal profession. On display will be a range of equipment designed to address the needs o f members of the legal profession and experts who will be happy to discuss the potential benefits of software and hardware with those attending the exhibition. All members o f the profession are invited to attend the exhibition for whom admission is free.

which should be drawn to the attention of businesses when using the Internet in the course o f their day-to-day c omme r c i al activities.

JOD

T h e c on f e r en ce will take place in The

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