{"id":4755,"date":"2004-03-08T22:58:30","date_gmt":"2004-03-09T02:58:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/2004\/03\/08\/form-sharing-database-grows-i"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:58:57","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:58:57","slug":"form-sharing-database-grows-in-london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2004\/03\/08\/form-sharing-database-grows-in-london\/","title":{"rendered":"Form-Sharing Database Grows in London"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When it comes to lawyering, those Brits do a lot of things right.  The latest proof is news that a free database of legal precedent forms is being created in London by the Commerce and Industry Group<\/A> of UK’s Law Society.  According to an article<\/A> in the Law Gazette <\/EM>(In-house lawyers ask firms to give out precedents,” 11-21-03):<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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“Branch chairman Anthony Armitage is currently negotiating with law firms to create a central database of precedents for banking, regulatory, property and other work, which will be made available free of charge to C&I members.”<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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“The scheme is currently in the initial stages of development, but should ultimately create a comprehensive database of loan documents, sale contracts, lease agreements, surrender documents and more.” <\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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\"ten  Somehow, the London firms are getting over the notion that they might lose some fees by sharing these documents.  When asked why they might do it, Armitage replied:  <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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“Law firms have traditionally been very protective of their precedents. But the value that a law firm adds is not really in the precedent, but in how it is used and the advice that goes around it.  If a law firm is confident in its skills and specialism, it will still be able to add that value. The response from law firms so far has been positive.’<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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Could it happen here in the former Colony?  I bet Scheherazade<\/A> would contribute some great forms to such a database; and would<\/A> take advantage of it, too.<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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