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Sharon Nelson Featured in Virginia Lawyers Weekly

May 2, 2019

Sharon Nelson was featured in “Future Tense: To Overcome Anxiety Over Legal Tech, Lawyers Need Education” by Peter Vieth for Virginia Lawyers Weekly.

Excerpt: The emphasis on legal tech is not surprising. Outgoing futures committee chair Sharon D. Nelson is a tireless exponent of the tech-savvy lawyer. New committee chair Kellam T. Parks is a devotee, adopting a paperless office and using digital technology in all aspects of his practice.

Lawyers – especially those in solo and small offices – may resist, but adopting new technology is not only a necessity, it can be a time and work saver, the leaders said. “Most professionals are slow to change, and I believe the legal profession is slower than some,” Parks said. “You still have lawyers who don’t want to learn it. They would rather retire than learn technology. But the benefits are so great,” Nelson said. And clients now expect some degree of technological proficiency, she added.

Lawyers who take two hours to perform a task will be upended by lawyers who have figured out how to do that job in 15 minutes, Nelson said.

But the most compelling reason for calling in IT help at a small law office is that it’s the only way to meet the demands of Rule 1.6 of the Rules of Professional Responsibility. “To have a prayer of compliance, you’re going to have to secure information and preserve client confidences,” Nelson said.

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