It is no secret that we live in a technology age. New innovations are constantly changing the face of companies and making everyday tasks a lot easier for the average person to accomplish. The Internet, arguably one of the best pieces of technology out there, has completely changed the world we live in. We have the ability to research, shop, communicate, publish, and search for and find information, all of this lies right at our finger tips. Now, one more company has turned to the Internet to make their services more available to people all over, and that company is Axiom.
What is Axiom? I had never heard of it before and I am sure that most people haven't either, but suprisngly enough, it is a law firm. I was shocked to hear that a law firm could some how be internet-connected, other then recieving emails through their office. Axiom is a relatively new San Franciso based law firm created in the year 2000 to completely change the face of the law industry as we know it. The company office is not the typical home to a law firm, but instead it is simply a small, chic space filled with computers and other technologically related devices. People who "work in the office," the main one located in San Franciso, are simply there to manage "client relatonships" and find "corporate work." I find that job to be a little ironic since the management of the client relatonships is done through a computer screen, however, it must be working since Axiom has proven to be successful so far. There are 216 people who do the "lawyering" for the company and they are located throughout San Fransico, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and London. These people do not go into the office or have the typical 9-5 work hour schedule because with the internet-connected law firm, they are able to work from their homes or meet with their client's wherever they work. They can also, according to the article, decide and choose what type of clients they want. All of the lawyers can use Axiom's website, which is very well-constructed, as a form for legal disucssion. Basically, Axiom is a pioneer in it's field. It has very boldy used information technology to gain a competitve edge over other law firms, and to truly change the "business of law."
And I believe that Axiom is genuis. The advantages of Axiom are endless. First of all, the article said that Axiom is legally considered a corporation, unlike other firms which are usually partnerships. I think that this difference means a lot more equal working hours and salaries. My father is a lawyer and as he nears his retirement, he has switched firms. His old firm, where he worked long hours traveling to courts all over New Jersey, and constantly working with tedious paperwork, was a partnership where the partner consistently made a large sum of money and worked about half the amount that he worked. I told him about Aviom and while he hadn't heard of it yet, he said that he would love doing something like that. I believe Axiom provides something for everyone. The lawyers who work there would probably, like my father, be a little bit older with many, many years of work experience to provide to their clients and the clients would be exposed to these services at a much cheaper price. Axiom is able to provide service fees up to "50% cheaper than those of more traditional, top law firms since it doesn't spend money on a nice office, and have partners and billing in six-minute increments." Also, clients could meet on their schedules in the comfort of their own workplace. Essientally, the lawyer is coming to YOU. Who wouldn't like this?
It makes perfect sense to me that this company is continuing to generate revenue each year and that companies are investing in it. Companies, especially today, love the advantages and competitive edge that technology gives them and following that logic, of course they would invest in a law firm that mirrors their thought process.
I was and still am fascinated by Axiom. I predict that more and more law firms will want to follow this trend and begin becoming technologically equipped and connected to their clients. If Axiom continues to make it big, does this mean that the future of law will be changed forever? I hope so and I actually can't understand how the idea hasn't caught on fire yet.
Source: http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/24/technology/axiom_legal.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2008112512
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