Society hits the Net at Murrayfield

The Law Society of Scotland’s annual IT conference “Nothing but the Net” scored highly with delegates when it took place at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield stadium last month. There was an upbeat mood to the entire day – which may have been partly due to Scotland still being in the World Cup at that point and the anticipated presentation later in the day by former Scottish rugby international Scott Hastings.

Change was the overarching theme of the conference, and indeed, like technology, the conference itself has advanced considerably since I first attended in 2001. In addition to seminars there are now round table discussion forums, various themed streams to interest a wider cross section of delegates, and a demonstration area featuring the latest technological services aimed at law firms. The exhibition has also grown, with many exhibitors regarding the conference as a key opportunity to meet the profession, and this year there were 30 stands showcasing the full range of IT services and products needed to run a law firm.

Original themes

Innovation is part and parcel of Nothing but the Net, and the Society’s Update team introduced its first online delegate catalogue. Instead of weighing delegates down with bulky folders of presentations and speakers’ notes, all the documents could be downloaded from the Society’s website, and on the day delegates were given a catalogue containing the programme alongside sponsor and exhibitor profiles. Feedback suggests this is a welcome development, quite apart from the environmental benefits.

Kicking off the day was keynote speaker Robert Schifreen. In 1985, Robert made legal history as the first person in the world to face a jury trial in connection with computer hacking. He had managed to hack his way into the BT Prestel system, gaining access to the Duke of Edinburgh’s mail account – his ultimate acquittal led to the introduction of the Computer Misuse Act in the UK. In his presentation Robert reflected on the Prestel incident and considered the effectiveness of IT security measures that can be put in place today.

Robert passed to Bill Craig, the business continuity controller for Northgate IT. In 2005 Northgate’s offices near London were destroyed when the adjacent Buncefield oil depot exploded. Delegates watched in silence as a video was shown with first hand accounts of Northgate staff involved in the incident. As one of the staff, who was present when the explosion took place, said: “it looked as if Satan had opened his door”. Bill highlighted how having a business continuity plan in place enabled the company to pull through and maintain services to customers.

Menu-driven

Following last year’s success, the Society again split the conference into three distinct streams: firm growth and development; efficiency and performance; and legal and case review. I had the opportunity to slip in and out of many of these sessions and they were all excellent and lively with delegates asking many questions.

After half time (aka lunch and time at the exhibition) delegates had the option of nine round tables to choose from: Legal aid – advice and assistance; The death of ISDN; Exchange Vista and Office; Domain name portfolios; Document workflow; Technology management; Information security; Top tips for IT outsourcing; and Keeping backups compliant. In parallel with the discussion sessions there were practical demonstrations and a presentation by the Scottish Court Service on electronic presentation of evidence in court. Each 30 minute session was repeated to allow delegates as much flexibility as possible to pick what was of interest to them.

Fundamental issue

Towards the end of the day James Ness, the Society’s Deputy Director of Professional Practice, led a question and answer session on the “best evidence” rule. The issue here related to the question of whether a party who deliberately destroyed original documentation was entitled to rely on the rule should they wish to submit copies of that original documentation in evidence. There was no consensus at the Court Technology Forum on the issue and it has not been resolved in court. Clearly it is of fundamental importance to those archiving documents, electronically or otherwise.

The conference was wound up by Scott Hastings, who gave a highly entertaining review of his Rugby World Cup experiences and business insights. Scott also made the prize draw for the Nintendo Wii from the Society and the digital camera from sponsor Capital Solutions. On behalf of the Society I would like to thank the other sponsors, Microsoft, Datalifeline, Legal Technology Insider and On-site AV, who helped make the event such a success.

For those delegates who still had the stamina, the day was not yet over with the opportunity to continue discussions with other delegates or exhibitors informally at the drinks reception, or to have a tour of the stadium.

Maintaining the sporting theme in conclusion, and borrowing a phrase from the former President of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch, this was the best Nothing but the Net conference yet.

Gordon Brewster is Director of Central Services at the Law Society of Scotland, and chaired this year’s conference