Goodbye legal guides and directories of lawyers; hello online searches and social networks

A panel of five general counsel, written about in Strategies, June 2010 at 19, proclaimed the death of traditional techniques to find outside counsel in a particular area or to validate a referral. “All five general counsel agreed that Google searches and a robust online presence have essentially replaced legal guides and directories.”

Online information stays more current than hardcopies. Nor is it focused into a particular style like a bound, physical directory. Search terminology is unlimited, whereas a published taxonomy necessarily constrains any guideline or directory (See my post of April 4, 2008: will legal directories diminish the value of inside counsel.). Print can’t keep up with digital in terms of flexibility, speed, and customization.