Welcome back to the Dye & Durham Docket! Tomorrow is International Women’s Day, and we wanted to open this month’s Docket by paying tribute to the immense social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women around the world. Here at Dye & Durham, our women employees are integral to all our successes, as we know they are at your organizations too. Please enjoy this month’s roundup of the latest news and developments in legal technology and other issues relevant to legal professionals around the world. 

Featured articles

Don’t miss this compelling interview with Canadian lawyer Erin Durant, who wrote a book about her mental health struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic and advocates for better health and wellness in the legal profession, as well as mentorship for women lawyers. 

Do you struggle to keep your documents under a set word count? A law professor who’s spent years studying what judges find persuasive delves into the U.S. Supreme Court word-count requirements aimed at curbing every lawyer’s tendency “to write as much as they can.” Bonus: It contains some tips to keeping your writing lean. 

Is working from home making you unwell by creating stress and promoting an inactive lifestyle? This health expert thinks so. 

Industry news and trends

David Wilkins, director of the Center on the Legal Profession at Harvard Law School, explains how AI is poised to transform the legal industry in the weeks and months ahead. 

In that same vein, LexisNexis’s Alan Votary explains the major role generative AI played in legal services last year, and how it’s going to result in further big changes this year. He notes: “We typically don't see things moving that fast in the legal profession. It's something that they're embracing.” 

A new survey suggests legal professionals are treading carefully on generative AI by ensuring human experts are in place at their organizations to safely implement it. 

Global news and trends

The Australian scene

Australian law firms are outpacing their American and British counterparts on mergers and acquisitions. “We’re seeing performance in the Australian market that we’re not seeing anywhere else around the world,” according to a Thomson Reuters legal industry analyst. 

Australia recently pledged to crack down on high-risk AI. Read one expert’s opinion on how to do so effectively. 

What's up in Canada?

Here’s our guide for Canadian legal professionals on everything they need to know about virtual ID verification with authentication. 

Montréal lawyers are warning immigrants to be on high alert for fake legal representatives. 

On the eve of International Women’s Day, some women lawyers think the Canadian legal profession is in need of its own #MeToo movement. 

The Irish market

The latest Dye & Durham Ireland Pulse Report finds that only 35 per cent of Irish respondents have used AI for professional reasons — though almost 80 per cent say technology at large is playing an important or critical role in their day-to-day work. 

This Irish tech firm founder has just received the country’s largest ever unfair dismissal award. 

A recent gathering of Irish tech founders delved into the advantages of setting up offices abroad, particularly big global cities like London and New York. 

The scene in South Africa

As International Women’s Day dawns, this story on one of South Africa’s most celebrated women lawyers is worth another read. 

What's up in the UK?

A new survey has found that regulated British law firms are battling a surge in financial crime. The number of firms falling victim to financial crime in the past six months has more than doubled, reaching 26 per cent. 

Read about what the Law Society of England and Wales is doing to convey to policy-makers the concerns legal professionals have about the UK’s new building regulations. 

Dye & Durham in action

Our new Unity® Global Platform has launched in the UK! It’s a next-generation solution for everything law firms need to run a thriving legal practice — all in one place. 

Our first Global Leadership Conference of 2024, held in London, was a big success. Company leaders from around the world gathered to engage in constructive dialogue, exchange valuable ideas and insights, and build meaningful relationships across our ecosystem. 

We also just marked International Employee Appreciation Day, paying tribute to our hard-working staff by hosting lunches in each of our offices in Canada, the UK, Ireland, South Africa and Australia. 

We recently supported our partners at National Bank of Canada with a $50,000 donation towards this year’s Beaux 4 Heures for the Foundation Martin-Matte to support children and adults living with head trauma or physical disabilities.  

And we were thrilled to participate in Techtalent.ca’s highly attended job fair in Toronto a couple of weeks ago. Our team had the chance to meet with hundreds of talented tech professionals, talk about the exciting things happening at Dye & Durham and share more about how we’re building the future of legal tech. 

A lighter note

Can you name pop songs about lawyers and the law off the top of your head? “I Fought the Law” is just the beginning – here’s a collection of great songs about lawyers, performed by an array of artists that include blues icons and heavy metal giants. 

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