Slack Way of Our Legal System? Is it Really Possible?

Slack is a new-age collaborative team communication, file sharing, and search platform that’s being marketed as a replacement for the email. There’s scope for Slack in any type of work where team communication and project management are involved. Slack is already being used by top global brands such as Samsung, LinkedIn, TIME, EA, airbnb, Harvard University, eBay, Pinterest, and BuzzFeed. Slack was primarily designed for corporates, but owing to its immense capabilities to make teams more productive and their work simpler and pleasant, it is being utilized by people in various other domains. One such domain is the legal system, wherein many lawyers and law firms in the United States have started using Slack. Here’s how Slack is turning out to be hugely beneficial for lawyers and law firms.

Real-time interactions with the client: Slack enables real-time interactions with the client, which significantly increases the productivity of legal professionals. Considering the huge popularity of Slack, it is highly likely that the client may already be using Slack. Such a client would find it really useful if their lawyer is also on Slack since it will allow for faster communication and information and document sharing.

Comprehensive app integration: Slack connects seamlessly to a wide range of apps encompassing communication, analytics, file management, productivity, payments and accounting, security & compliance, etc. This allows users to access anything they need from a single dashboard without having to constantlyswitch between dozens of apps. This helps lawyers to focus more on their core job and reduce the time spent on administrative functions.

Different channels for different clients: In situations where a lawyer has multiple clients, it becomes really difficult to track conversations through email. All the various emails from different clients drop in the same inbox, which makes things quite confusing and cumbersome. Slack helps resolve such issues as it allows lawyers to create dedicated private channels for each client. All communications and files relevant to a clientare available through the respective private channel, something that makes life easier for lawyers.

Sharing important information with colleagues: Changes are always occurring in the legal world, for example, a new legislation, regulatory or statutory updates, a new ruling by a judge/court, etc. Legal teams need to have access to such information to make changes to documents, case files, notes, etc. Slack makes it easier for legal teams to share such important information and make it available to anyone who might need it through the respective channel. Such information could be vital in determining the outcome of a given court case.

Advanced search features: Slack comes with advanced search feature that can shift through voluminous amounts of data and find the right information a lawyer may be looking for. Junior members in the legal team often have to search through thousands of documents and case files, which could be really time-consuming. Slack works by creating a rich database of information, enabling users to instantly find the documents or information they are looking for.

Cutting-edge security features:Privacy and confidentiality are critical in the legal system. Slack has advanced security features that ensure 100% protection in terms of communications, information sharing, documents, case files, etc.

Team bonding:Slack has also shown to improve informal bonding with clients and among team and project members. Email rarely provides opportunities for informal communications, but Slack is real-time and there’s plenty of scope for informal chit-chat. If needed, a separate channel can also be created for informalcommunications with team members. Informal communications help create stronger bonds with team members,eliminate the drudgery of work, and ensurefree flow of ideas.

Slack way of our legal system is possible and it can unlock a host of new possibilities. However, there may be some challenges, since Slack was not designed specifically for the legal system.Nonetheless, considering the fact that an increasing number of lawyers and law firms have started using Slack, new features may be added to suit the specific needs of the legal system. It is also possible that a platform similar to Slack may be launched, which would be designed exclusively for the legal system.

About MyAdvo: A leading lawyer discovery platform, MyAdvo utilizes the latest technology for making legal simple for anyone who may need it. MyAdvo’s technology framework helps people in need of legal assistance to find the best lawyer based on in-depth lawyer profiling, specializations and client reviews. MyAdvo helps people to get more clarity on the costs involved, allowing them to take informed decisions. MyAdvo also has a dedicated mechanism for handling any concerns that may arise during the progress of a particular case.