Lawyers and technology - Use 'IT' or lose it

CHARLES Darwin, the English naturalist, said: "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change."

Darwin's wisdom also applies to the world of commerce and professions. Like biological species, the legal profession has also seen an evolution of lawyers through the ages.

Lawyers who practised law through law firm partnerships are now doing so as limited liability entities. With the ascent of multinational corporations, this gave rise to a new breed of in-house corporate lawyers with commercial savvy who are hired to provide legal services more cost effectively through their intimate understanding of an industry and its specific business requirements.