Propeller heads and lawyers

In a recent legal IT employment survey, the Legal IT Forum (LITF) asked law firm IT managers and directors what the worst aspect was of having to work with lawyers. Some of the answers were predictable. Such as, with the 'partnership culture', decision making is frequently a slow and drawn out process because everyone has a different opinion and needs to be consulted.

The legalistic mindset of lawyers - or as one IT director put it, "they are trained arguers and nitpickers" - often resulted in them approaching everything as if it was a contract or a deal they were negotiating.

However, tying for first place as the biggest source of grievances about lawyers was their general ignorance - of all matters technical and managerial - and their arrogant, egotistical attitude. In many responses, concern was expressed that lawyers: had poor management skills, lacked vision and commercial awareness, and wanted results from IT but were not prepared to spend any time trying to understand IT or even get a grip on the simplest technical details.

The article goes on to tell us about in-house IT departments; as where the IT people come from, how long they have worked in this sector and how much they earn. As to the future, it seems most will still be working in the legal IT industry in years to come. Can't be too bad then working for lawyers!

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