Here’s a selection from the last few weeks of tweets that I and others think might interest those who don’t use Twitter or who don’t follow the authors of these tweets.The source is shown by the @xxxx at the end of the retweet. If none appears, it’s because I’m the source.

If you are on Twitter and read or publish something that you think we should re-broadcast here, simply include the hash tag #slawca in the tweet or retweet. If you’ve published something on Slaw, there’s no need to use that hashtag on Twitter: all it does is bring to . . . [more]

The Checklist Manifesto
by Dr Atul Gawande
published by Metropolitan Books, December 2009
price: $29.50
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9174-8

“Gawande shows how using checklists can significantly improve workflows and outcomes at work. The book has real lessons for lawyers and lawfirms”

In The Checklist Manifesto, Dr. Atul Gawande examines how the use of checklists can significantly improve workflows and outcomes in the work environment. He focuses primarily on the aviation and construction industries, and analyzes where and how checklists are used. He speaks as well about his experience in a WHO-sponsored initiative bringing checklists to surgical operating theatres around . . . [more]

Ask anyone. It’s all about value these days. We have entered an era where costs no longer determine the price of legal services. Value determines the price. The drive to achieve value is challenging the status quo in the legal services industry. Historically, lawyers have set the price for their legal services by determining their costs; and then adding their profit margin in order to arrive at the final price for their services. Isn’t this the antithesis of the way in which most other industries determine the price for their goods and services?

For most other industries, the price for . . . [more]

Here’s a selection from the last week or so of tweets that I and others think might interest those who don’t use Twitter or who don’t follow the authors of these tweets. (Apologies for having lost a week somewhere.)

The source is shown by the @xxxx at the end of the retweet. If none appears, it’s because I’m the source.

If you are on Twitter and read or publish something that you think we should re-broadcast here, simply include the hash tag #slawca in the tweet or retweet. If you’ve published something on Slaw, there’s no need to use that . . . [more]

After more than a decade in the eDiscovery industry, I often reflect back on my journey and equate our earliest experiences to crossing an ocean in a small leaky boat, facing unchartered seas in unpredictable weather while relying on an inexperienced crew. The eDiscovery industry has been built by pioneers on the backs of unsuspecting early adopter clients and technologists who shared a common vision, the digitization of the legal world and the inevitable mainstream adoption of electronic evidence management.

Today, while the industry continues to evolve and grow, eDiscovery processes and technologies have matured and a well-established community of . . . [more]

I’ve been sharing my commute with Chris Brogan and Julien Smith for the past few days. I’ve been reading Trust Agents, their latest collaboration. While writing to the SLAW community about the importance of social media feels a little redundant, I’d still like to expound on this book for a little while.

Trust agents are connectors – people who bring people together, who cannot help themselves from telling others about interesting ideas, products and people they’ve encountered. Malcolm Gladwell wrote about them in The Tipping Point. Brogan and Smith credit David Maister with describing the concept in The Trusted . . . [more]

Legal Project Management – Control Costs, Meet Schedules, Manage Risks and Maintain Sanity
by Steven Levy
published by Daypack Books, Seattle WA, 2009
price: US$29.95
ISBN: 1449928641

“Steven Levy’s book marries project management with legal practice. This is a useful practical guide on how lawyers can get started.“

The nature of legal services is changing. Indeed barely a week passes without another article in the legal press about Alternative Fee Arrangements and the death of the billable hour. Consequently the need for better Project Management has become a hot topic within law firm practice management circles. It is . . . [more]

Here’s a selection from the last week or so of tweets that I and others think might interest those who don’t use Twitter or who don’t follow the authors of these tweets.

If you are on Twitter and read or publish something that you think we should re-broadcast here, simply include the hash tag #slawca in the tweet or retweet. If you’ve published something on Slaw, there’s no need to use that hashtag on Twitter: all it does is bring to our attention things we might not otherwise have seen.

• RT @david_bilinsky: Cdn content and licensing barriers keep coolest

With less than 30 percent of all information ever appearing as ink on paper, the “paper trail” often turns out to be a “bitstream.” This sheer volume of data held by organizations makes it clear that electronically stored information plays an essential part in litigation today. Once the information as been preserved, what’s next? Well, it would make no sense for anyone to read through all of upper management’s e-mails or review all the documents stored on an organization’s network. The solution? Applying search terms to the electronically stored information to identify responsive files and documents.

Successful searches of electronic . . . [more]

Herewith a few interesting tweets encountered by me and others during the past few weeks. We’re slow in picking up the threads because of the holidays, but we’ll be back on track now.

Please join us in sharing the best of Twitter: simply tag your tweets or retweets with #slawca.

• @citizenlab lecture at Google about how Internet censorship is rising http://bit.ly/82uSAw – by jacobglick
• New President appointed for the Australian Law Reform Commission. Congratulations Professor Rosalind Croucher http://bit.ly/5i1fZF – by AusLawReform
• RT @saleemkhan [Canadian Association of Journalists] “CAJ battles libel chill” http://tr.im/HKfA – by conniecrosby
• RT @jordan_law21: 2 UK

There is still some sensitivity around legal process outsourcing (LPO); however as time passes, we are seeing a growing number of law firms and corporate law departments embracing LPO. Simmons & Simmons is the latest law firm to outsource some of its legal work.

Based on published sources, the list of corporations and law firms offshoring legal work and the type of work they are outsourcing includes:

Corporations
Accenture – support, contracts
American Express
Andrew Corp
Cadence Design Systems – document review
Dell – procurement and sales contracts
DuPont – document review
General Electric – contracts
General Mills – patent . . . [more]

Herewith a few interesting tweets encountered by me and others during the past week. Please join us in sharing the best of Twitter: simply tag your tweets or retweets with #slawca.

• @ABAesq Best of #ABA #TECHSHOW: Ediscovery for solo & small firm attorneys http://bit.ly/5mbGv4 – by Sharon Nelson & @dominicjaar
• RT @stevematthews Nominations Open for the 2009 Clawbies – Law Firm Web Strategy http://bit.ly/7kXb8A – by @smireau 
• RT @Ledjit: New post: The Portable Courtroom – The Case for Paperless Courtrooms http://bit.ly/5Fhm6s – by @smireau 
• What Makes a Good Law School Exam Answer? @WSJLawBlog via Tarlton Library News http://bit.ly/8Q1OeS