The Gazette 1988

GAZETTE

DECEMBER 1988

The Future by Thomas D. Shaw Pres i dent

Other interesting statistics have emerged f r om America. Statistics show that the average gross receipts per lawyer in 1987 in America were about $180,000. This represented a 114% in- crease over the last ten years but it was also d i s c l o s ed t h a t overheads exc l ud i ng associate salaries increased 153% over the same period. The big pressure in America is that overheads and salaries are cutting very deeply into gross receipts. Approximately 6 5% of gross receipts are taken up w i t h over- heads and this is an increasing rather than a decreasing figure. In an effort to increase their take, lawyers in America are going away from time costing alone and are

prefering a system of value billing against which they check their time records. In this country, this has long been practised and invariably results in the solicitor and the client agreeing what is a fair fee for the case. The problem of time costing alone is that in a small case in wh i ch there is a lot of time and effort expended the fee very often antagonises the client. Whatever the future holds, there is no doubt that all the technology in the world is no substitute for hard work but it is equally clear that the lawyer owes it to himself and his s t a ff to provide wha t ever modern equipment he can afford for the improvement of his office and thereby of the service wh i ch gives to the public. Q

Having travelled extensively during the past twelve months, I have been interested to try and identify the trends of how solicitors will operate their practices in the future. The advent of the technological age has brought firstly, dictaphones and subsequently word processors together w i t h time billing and litigation support and reminder systems. Undoubtedly in my view the next step will be a personal computer on every solicitors desk. This personal computer will be in a position to supply the solicitor w i t h all the information wh i ch he wou ld want to enable him to carry on his practice. So if t he l awyer wa n ts to research a particular legal point, he w i l l be able to l ook at t he authorities on that point w i t hout having to send the case to Counsel. Every conceivable precedent will be available to t he practising solicitor and he will be able to adapt the precedent to suit his needs. The so f twa re will store legal forms in the computer so that the lawyer can call t hem up on his computer screen as he needs them. It will be possible to have available all financial information wh i ch a lawyer would need such as the rates of interest payable by the Banks, the different interest rates charged by the respective Building Societies, the Stock Market Report and all facilities so that he is in a position to advise his client. The data base for the computer will have to be supplied principally from the Law Society, but from other institutions such as banks, building societies, publishers as well. The basic idea is t hat the lawyer can practise his law at his desk w i t hout having to spend time outside his office other than wh en it is absolutely necessary. In America, the average firm of lawyers has b e t we en 1.3 — 1.7 lawyers per secretary whereas where the computer system is fully operative the f i rms using the system have 2.75 lawyers per secretary. The position in Ireland appears to be almost the exact reverse.

NEW YORK STATE BAR EXAMINATION

The As soc i a t i on of t he Bar of t he City of New York has recently issued a Report which will be of interest to Irish solicitors planning to sit the New York State Bar Exami na t i on. If t he Repor t 's proposa ls are impl ement ed, Irish app l i can ts will first have to compl e te 24 credits at an approved U.S. Law S c h o o l ( in U.S. Cons t i tut ional Law, Civil Procedure, a nd P r o f e s s i on al Respons i b i l i t y) be fore being pe rmi t t ed to take t he Exam. A copy of t he Report is available f r om: Education Officer, Law Society, Blackball Place, Dublin 7. Tel. 710711

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