Northern Ireland Bar Conference 2013

Richard Susskind with Brian Spencer at Titanic Belfast.

The Northern Ireland Bar Council conference 'Transforming Legal Practice Through Innovation' (preview here) was headlined by the eminent legal futurist Richard Susskind (@RichardSusskind). Ahead of his keynote address, a number of other esteemed speakers addressed the conference. Here they are in order:

Attorney-General John Larkin began by his address by admitting that he had not been at the forefront of transforming practice. He noted two errors that he and others have made:

One: That technology doesn't matter and we can get along with it. 

Two: Some have idolised technology and technological innovation for its own sake. 

John Larkin elaborated. On the first error made, he said: Those who ignore tech advance will soon realise the error of their ways in the exhaust fumes of their competitors. On the said error made, he said: The second is a subtler risk. Technological advancements for lawyers cannot be an end in itself. It can only be better so long as we can use it to better serve our clients. There is little value in wielding a technological masterpiece if we cannot be sure of its reliability. 

He said finally that: "We lawyers should also be solvers of problems. Seek better solutions. I commend this conference heartily as it takes its first step in that direction."

QUB alumnus and Supreme Court Judge Lord Kerr took to the podium. Lord Kerr began by confession. Until recently he said, "I couldn't think without a pen in my hand, I was a complete Luddite." But Lord Kerr is now a convert and advocate of technology as tool for enhancing justice and the work of legal practitioners.

Northern Ireland Law Society Talks Social Media

Compared to the Law Society in England and Wales and the one in Scotland, Northern Ireland's solicitor regulatory body has been pretty quiet on the matter and question of social media.

However it hasn't gone without mention and it appears that the Law Society in Northern Ireland is at least open to the idea of solicitors and law firms in Northern Ireland using and getting to grips with social media. How do I know this. Well because of an advertisement I found on Google that referred to a social media seminar for law firms to be hosted by the NI Law Society in June 2012.

The June 11 event was advertised here, and was hosted by the Law Society's Communication Officer, Paul O'Connor and Tim McKane of Belfast digital media agency, Novajo Talk.