313 / 424
GAZETTE
T E C H N O L O G Y
N O T E
The Internet and Its Opportunities for
the Legal Profession
NOVEMBER 1995
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.
T h e c on f e r en ce will take place in The
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
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.
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.
JOD
Doyle Court Reporters
Principal:
Áine O'Farrell
Court, Conference, AGMs,
Business Meetings, Arbitrations.
Verbatim Reporting - Daily Transcripts
2, Arran Quay, Dublin 7. Tel: 872 2833 or 286 2097
(After Hours)
Fax: 872 4486
Excellence in 'Reporting since 1954
289