The practice of law is an undertaking in pursuit of an ideal: justice.
Unfortunately, the processes involved in this pursuit can be time-consuming and costly, preventing many of the most vulnerable members of society from pursuing a case, no matter the merits.
Thankfully, there are firms like Sidley Austin LLP fighting on their side. Established more than 150 years ago, the firm is now one of the largest law firms in the United States with offices in 20 cities around the world and about 2,000 lawyers providing services. Such a top-flight firm might be expected to be completely focused on the bottom-line, but Sidley Austin believes it has an obligation to aid those who would otherwise go unrepresented. In fact, the firm dedicates more than 140,000 hours per year to those who need it most, advocating for the rights of refugees and immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, disabled veterans, and others.
But law is a complex undertaking. Finding the right evidence and information is crucial to keeping costs manageable. Every hour spent searching for evidence is time that could have been spent on higher-value tasks within the case. And those pro bono hours are valuable, using resources that could otherwise generate revenue for the firm.
Legal cases hinge on finding evidence and information quickly and Sidley has replaced the slow, manual processes of the past with OpenText analytics and machine learning to speed the eDiscovery process. Using a complete solution with analytics and continuous machine learning built in helps legal teams identify the facts that matter for litigation, compliance and governance. Earlier insights and faster review give strong results that benefit clients and ensure justice is done.
And this work isn’t just about business. It’s something that makes the world a better place, says partner Robert Keeling, who also serves as co-chair of Sidley’s E-Discovery Task Force. “So many of our neighbours lack access to basic human necessities, like decent and affordable housing, healthcare, education and jobs, and our pro bono work plays a vital role in improving people’s lives around the world, especially those who do not have access to high-quality legal representation.”
What do you think about Sidley’s digital transformation journey? How has digitizing your manual processes helped your organization make the world a better place?
