UK heads of legal drop technology to the bottom of their priorities

In August 2002 a “Benchmarker Survey” of 100 heads of legal departments in UK businesses, published by Legal Director, asked them to rank their priorities in the management, organization and structure of the legal services their departments provide http://www.legalit.net/ViewItem.asp?id=24483.

On a scale of one (not at all important) to ten (extremely important), here are four of the priorities given in the summary by Gill Hague, “Factors Affecting the Use of Information and Communications Technology by In-House Legal Practices in North West England,” J. Info. Law and Tech., Dec. 15, 2004.

Quality and efficiency (9.1)
Accurate budgeting (7.2)
Reduction of costs (6.75)
Technology (5.2)

According to Hague, “This suggests that the Heads of Departments do not see a link between the effective use of technology and achieving other aims.” I agree: the potential and promise of technology beckons, but it is the experience of many general counsel that the realities dash many of these hopes.