By Scott
Kadish
Technology has revolutionized our
practice. Faxes used to be the greatest thing ever, and we have moved way
past faxes in the last 10 years. Technology will continue to evolve. My
wish list:
1. Phones as we
know them are eliminated. All phone calls will be video calls over the
computer, screen to screen (or tablet to tablet, or PDA to PDA, or any one of
these to another.)
2. The keyboard
will be eliminated. Instead, we can just dictate what we want and the
computer will print it.
3. Similarly,
the mouse will be eliminated. Again, verbal commands replace point and
click.
4. Security
concerns are eliminated. So remote access from any type of device can be
used without concern.
5. Passwords
are eliminated. Through fingerprint, voice or eye ball, users can be
authenticated without having to supply (and remember) passwords.
Luckily, I do not think technology
will in my lifetime advance to such an extent that a computer can replace the
attorney completely. There is no computer able to utilize the judgment
required of a good attorney. It is not impossible to imagine though.
Genesis, by Bernard Beckett, is a very interesting, creative, well
written book which is based on that very premise. I think that it is an
individual's unique judgment and the ability to apply it to unique
circumstances and personalities and express conclusions in a meaningful and
understandable way that make a good attorney. The job of technology is to make
it easier and quicker to analyze a situation, reach conclusions and express
them.
So at least for the time being, it
is the job of technology to support us, not replace us.
You can read more from Scott Kadish at the Real Estate
Advisor Law Blog.
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