Attorney Ross Kodner, who founded the legal-tech consultancy MicroLaw in 1985, passed away at the age of 52 in July 2013, after suffering a heart attack. Undoubtedly his legacy will be remembered for many years to come, as the imprint he left on the field of legal technology forever changed the practice of law.
Many will miss this generous and gracious man, who hosted an invitation-only Consultants and Technologists Dinner at every TechShow. He was widely known among the legal community as a man of incredible warmth and graciousness.
Always pushing towards a new frontier in legal technology, Kodner’s quote still rings true today: ‘If you think hiring an expert is expensive, try hiring an amateur.’
Kodner was instrumental in assisting in the recovery of legal documents after the terrorist attacks in September 2001. In the days immediately following the disaster, while the legal community was still reeling from grief and shock, those who were there picking up the pieces remember Kodner’s contribution to the recovery effort.
When the New York State Bar Association set up the Legal TechAid website, those involved in the project credited Kodner with organizing the gargantuan effort of data recovery. Kodner was also involved in helping attorneys recover important data lost in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Since these two disasters, cloud technology has brought a sea of change to document preservation and continuity of legal data. Today, we can protect vital documents in the cloud. Back in 2001, as documents rained down onto a terrified population in New York City, those technologies were in their infancy.
Take time to remember Kodner’s amazing contribution to the field of legal technology. He was a great man with an even greater vision.