Knowledge Management & Intranets Assisting the Practice of Law
I recently attended a demonstration of a large firm’s intranet with my Knowledge Management colleagues. “KM” is a discipline that has emerged over the last several years that takes information management a step beyond the library.
Knowledge is power as they say. In the internet age, however, knowledge is so easily accessible that it, alone, is no longer sufficient to ensure one remains competitive and successful. It is how you organize, access and use knowledge that has become the true source of power.
An intranet is like a mini internet, but one that is secure and contains information only accessible by the internal group using it. It is a very effective way to disseminate news and to organize all the information required in a law firm in one easy location, right on your desktop. The intranet worked in conjunction with the latest Document Management System and contained information ranging from human resources to legal research and precedents.
In larger firms with hundreds of lawyers in multiple cities, provinces and countries, there is so much information that tools to manage it are essential. For example, if you were looking for firm lawyers in Toronto who specialize in estates law and speak Igbo, you could find them in an instant on the intranet. You could even tell if they have capacity to take on extra work.
Of course, smaller firms do not have the same requirements as larger firms. The bulletin board and the water cooler may be sufficient in such environments for the exchange of important internal information.
Sharon Davis - Click here for more information on Sharon Davis.
