Last week The Law Society of British Columbia’s Cloud Computing Working Group published online a report with recommendations regarding the use of cloud computing by legal professionals.
Recommendations included in the report include:
1) Guidelines to help lawyers conduct due diligence in researching a technology providers and cloud-based solution. (The report refers to “third party service providers” which includes cloud computing but is much broader in scope.)
2) Review of potential changes in the Law Society Rules to ensure that its regulatory functions are kept up to date with the changes in technology. (Canadian legal professionals are subject to audits of law office records by their governing body whereas most state bars in the United States do not have this investigatory function.)
3) Methods that lawyers and law students might be educated to improve understanding of their responsibilities when using technology.
The report advocates that clear guidelines are needed to assist lawyers in making the decision about what type of technology to use and which providers to trust. Here is a brief overview of what the Report recommends. Even if you are not practicing law in Canada, these are good recommendations to consider as you conduct your “due diligence” in researching any tech-related practice management decision. (more…)