Skip Navigation



International Journal of Law and Information Technology Advance Access published online on August 30, 2006
International Journal of Law and Information Technology, doi:10.1093/ijlit/eal019
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (Rapid PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
15/2/170    most recent
eal019v2
eal019v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Mountain, D. R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© Oxford University Press 2006; all rights reserved

Article

Disrupting conventional law firm business models using document assembly

Darryl R. Mountain 1 *

1 L.L.M. (LSE), Barrister & Solicitor and active member of the American Bar Association eLawyering Task Force, 512 East 12th Street, North Vancouver, BC V7L 2K4 Canada

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Darryl R. Mountain, E-mail: darryl.mountain{at}ontago.com


  Abstract

Document assembly software is a technology that is fundamental to disrupting law firms. This article uses the framework set out by Clayton Christensen in The Innovator’s Dilemma and subsequent books to examine the range of business models that use document assembly software, from those that are sustaining in relation to law firms to those that are disruptive in relation to law firms. It looks at three barriers that slow down the pace of disruption: a shortage of the right people, rules against unauthor-ised practice, and inadequate capitalisation of law firms. These barriers will be overcome on a piecemeal basis as disruptive forces advance and undercut the billable hour.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, billable hour, capitalisation of law firms, document assembly, disruptive innovations, disruptive technologies, future of law, innovator’s dilemma, law firm management, legal web advisors, online legal services, unauthorised practice.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.