Emerging Approaches to Information Services

As law firms continually push to stay relevant in the information age, certain functions and roles will change drastically - possibly none more so than a firm's information functions and librarians. Information services are now more important than ever, and are more closely linked and integrated with all other functions of the firm. This means, however, that many information departments and roles will need to undergo a considerable metamorphosis in order to realise their full potential. From integration with other functions of the firm (such as Business Development and Knowledge Management), to gathering intelligence to leverage a competitive advantage - library teams, with the correct application, are set to become critical in forging a firm's digital pathway to increased success.

Auteur

Lance Sapsford Director of business development and marketing at Ince and Co Oz Benamram Oz Benamram is chief knowledge officer at White & Case, providing the firm with strategic direction on the use of KM and technology. He leads the knowledge department in developing and implementing the systems and processes that enable the firm to use its collective knowledge to benefit clients worldwide. Oz is a globally recognized thought leader and a frequent speaker on legal IT and KM subjects. He has won numerous awards for leading innovation in legal KM, including the creation of an enterprise search system. Marcia Burris Research and information consultant at HBR Consulting Steve Lastres Director of library and knowledge management at Debevoise & Plimpton Mark Gediman Mark Gediman is the director of information services for Best Best & Krieger, LLP and has been with BB&K since 2000, managing the research needs of more than 200 attorneys and paralegals in nine offi ces from DC to California. He is a past-president of the Southern California Association of Law Libraries (SCALL) and the co-founder and co-chair of the Competitive Intelligence Caucus of the Private Law Libraries- Information Professionals (PLL-IP) of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL). He has over 25 years of experience in law library management and writes regularly on Competitive Intelligence, research, and library management issues. He presents frequently for AALL and the Inland Counties Association of Paralegals as well as for SCALL, NoCALL, ACI and HALL. He has authored Chapter 8 of Business Intelligence for Law Firms (ARK Group, 2012) and articles in AALL Spectrum, Practicing Law Management Week, Paralegal Today, and Facts & Findings - The Magazine of the National Assoc. of Legal Assistants (NALA). He is a graduate of the University of California, Riverside. Marlene Gebauer Director of knowledge solutions at Greenberg Traurig Jennifer Mendez Senior manager of KM Firm Solutions at Ogletree Deakins Annie Youngblood Manager of business intelligence at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman Constance Ard Constance Ard is an information professional with nearly 20 years of library experience. She offers business information and content management solutions through her consulting practice Answer Maven. Before launching the consulting practice, Constance served as a law librarian for 12 years. She received her MSLIS from the University of Kentucky in 1995. Throughout her career, Constance has worked to develop a strong background in management and research as well as project management. She specializes in working with organizations to assess information problems, user needs, and expectations, and offers solutions to improve and leverage company expertise to solve those problems. This specialty includes working closely with management, end-users, and information technology. Technology and information are irrevocably intertwined and, in order to meet user requirements, information and content managers must work collaboratively with IT to ensure organizations meet their business goals. Constance is an expert at facilitating those relations. As a respected information professional she has spoken on topics from legal research for non-legal researchers to e-Discovery preparation and big data text analytics. Constance served as the Conference Planning Chair for the 2013 Association of Independent Information Professionals. She received the Outstanding Chapter Member Award from the Kentucky Chapter of Special Libraries Association in 2006 and the Professional Member Award in 2008. She also received the Kentucky Libraries Special Librarian of the Year Award in 2007.