This is not your father's Florida Bar Journal (or law practice).

• Author: Stewart, John M.
• Position: Special Issue: Technology & the Practice of Law

"I have come to the view that I humans will continue to do I what we do well, and that computers will continue to do what they do very well, and the two will co-exist but in different spaces."--Eric Schmidt, Former CEO of Google

As chair of the Technology Subgroup of the Vision 2016 Commission of The Florida Bar, I am pleased to introduce this special issue of The Florida Bar Journal, dedicated to technology's impact on the practice of law. It also looks into the future of our profession and its ability to compete in the new legal landscape utilizing technology while maintaining its core values.

As the "editor" of this special issue, the intent was to create what I call an awareness piece. The technologies impacting our profession are not bound by practice area, do not discriminate their impact based upon gender, race, ethnicity, or years of experience, and is ever evolving. My hope is that this issue of The Florida Bar Journal awakens the thoughts of Florida lawyers to the changing landscape and encourage us to use our collective wisdom to guide this noble practice through the technological gauntlet.

We must use technologies for the benefit of our practices, our clients, and the public while defending our core beliefs and traditions against those technologies that disserve the public good. This issue is the first dynamic online edition that The Florida Bar has ever produced, and I strongly encourage you to take some time to view this edition in its online format at www.floridabar.org.

Every effort has been made to bring together a diverse group of authors dealing with a variety of subjects and concerns facing the profession relating to technology. Some of the articles may offend or make you uncomfortable; some of the articles may cause initial concern or fear; and some of the articles may well excite you about the possibilities that technological intervention brings to the legal landscape. The compilation of authors are candidly the best doers and thinkers in the current technological environment within which we operate day-to-day, as well as some very forward-thinking innovators.

This issue encourages your intentional thinking on the risks and benefits associated with the use of technology in your practice areas and in the profession.

Signs of the change are everywhere. Lawyers who began their practice in the era of typewriters and carbon paper are now dealing with word processors and networks.

Service of documents transitioned from mail...