(Gainesville, FL October 31, 2000) Requests for electronic access to case-related information is on the increase by law firm clients across the country, but the legal profession is not yet meeting those needs. And, while the legal profession is rapidly increasing its use of technology in the everyday practice of law, there is widespread recognition among attorneys of related problems – including the need for additional personnel, training, help desk functions and technology costs. 

     Those are two of the key findings in a national survey of more than 26,500 legal professionals conducted by the Legal Technology Institute (LTI) at the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law, as reported in the Application Service Providers: An In-Depth Look into the Future Use of ASPs in the Legal Profession.

     “We are encouraged by results showing 90 percent of the legal profession uses the Internet at work, almost two-thirds have Internet Web sites, and 50 percent of the profession provides remote access to firms’ office networks,” reports Andrew Z. Adkins III, LTI director and project manager for the ASP Study. “But knowledge and use of the new and cost-effective Application Service Provider (ASP) system, designed to deliver software to the desktop, is disappointingly low.”

     Adkins explained the primary concept of ASP is that one “rents” software applications over the Internet on a subscription basis, rather than having to invest heavy capital up front. He said ASP delivers software applications to the desktop using high-speed Internet connections and an industry standard Web browser. Computer industry developers, integrators and consultants are providing technologies, products and services using the new ASP model, but the legal profession as a whole is unaware of its existence and application. 

     “Respondents who are familiar with ASP, however, indicate the main benefits of using such a system include low initial cost, a low technology investment, and access to information anywhere and anytime,” Adkins continued.

     Other survey finding, according to Adkins:
     • A high number of legal professionals do not use computerized calendaring.
     • Lawyers are becoming more mobile, and working from remote locations.
     • About 36 percent of the legal profession uses portable computers.
     • Almost 40% of survey respondents say that having a “computer staff” in a large law firm provides a competitive advantage.
     • Almost one-third of small law firms outsource their computer support.

     “iManage is delighted to have been a major partner in this timely study,” says Rick Klau, Director, Marketing Communications, iManage, Inc. “iManage is committed to providing the legal profession with the most innovative solutions. The ASP solution is a compelling opportunity for delivering applications to the desktop.”

     Recipients of the survey questionnaire came from random lists provided by the American Bar Association, Association of Legal Administrators, American Corporate Counsel Association, and included in the July 2000 edition of Law Technology News, an American Lawyer Media publication. Of those responding, 60 percent are attorneys, 21 percent administrators, and five percent information technology staff. About 70 percent of the respondents are from private law firms, 15 percent in corporate law departments, and five percent from government law sections.

     The ASP Study is sponsored by iManage, casecentral.com, eAttorney Inc., eJur Inc., ELF Technologies, Elite.com, Gavel & Gown Inc., iLumin, Inc., Microsoft Corp., NETwork ALTernatives Inc., Network Technology Group, Niku for Legal, RealLegal.com, Union Square Technology Group LLC, and West Group. The sponsors shared their collective intellectual knowledge to help determine the questions asked on the 8-page survey.

     An Executive Summary is available for free from LTI’s web site. For more information about the ASP Study or the Legal Technology Institute, visit http://www.law.ufl.edu/lti.

About the Legal Technology Institute
     The Legal Technology Institute was established in October 1997 at the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law with a mission to “provide an innovative forum for making a positive impact and improving technology in the legal profession.” LTI provides independent consulting, Internet web design, and market research services. Adkins, director of the Institute, is the author of “The Internet Lawyer - Microsoft Corporation Survey of Internet and Online User Trends in the Legal Profession,” published in January 1997. Adkins is also the Chair of the ABA TECHSHOW 2001.