You know things are bad when even lawyers are getting laid off," introduced a November 2008 International Herald Tribune article exploring the influence of the worsening economy on the legal sector. Tracing back to December 2007 -- the "birth" of the current recession -- the legal industry has cut 14,500 jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Labor statistics. And the dismal trend is expected to continue.
Despite these difficult financial times, many attorneys are finding a silver lining and are opening their own law firms. Whether these legal professionals are forced into startup ventures as an alternative to unemployment, leaving their high-profile, large law firms because they see the writing on the wall, or simply seizing the opportunity to become their own bosses, there is no doubt today's economy is driving the surge of law firm startups.
For any attorney starting his or her own law firm, it is essential to think about all the peripherals involved, especially the young law firm's information technology infrastructure, which will house and protect the lifeblood of the firm: its data. But how do startup entrepreneurs replicate the quality of a large firm's IT infrastructure with the limited budget and resources of a small firm?
Understanding that there are countless technology decisions to make in the early stages of planning a startup firm, many attorneys are taking advantage of the IT support and consultation that managed services providers, or MSPs, can offer to help ease the technology growing pains.
Read the full story at http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202428957510
