You have to network to get work, a sentiment that still appears to hold true for lawyers looking to advance up the food chain at their existing law firm. While existing tech platforms such as experience management systems or even the more generic matter management or billing tools can be used to identify lawyers on staff whose skill set most closely aligns with a given task, those products are likely not being used to their fullest extent—yet.
Partners with a matter that needs assigning may still find it easier to simply look down the hall than consult a dashboard breaking down the number of hours a handful of associates has accumulated around a given subject area. However, with some law firms continuing to swell in size—and ranks—it’s possible that technology could play a bigger role in matching attorneys with their next matter.
