AccessSolicitor.com and the University of Westminster Law School are developing an algorithm that will recommend the best lawyer for the customer’s needs – whatever they may be. It means lawyers will only hear from the best possible matches and, crucially, people who are most likely to engage paid-for legal services.
Said Warren Smith, AccessSolicitor.com’s founder and chief executive: “This technology goes to the very heart of what AccessSolicitor.com does. It will allow us to deliver our promise to both lawyers and consumers – to provide a high-quality match that is beneficial to everyone.
“The legal profession is undergoing radical change. The vast advancements in technology in the last two decades have impacted all aspects of our lives, and yet in the legal profession, many are still grappling with how best to use them to their advantage: to better manage, serve and retain existing clients, and to win new ones.
“AccessSolicitor.com understands those challenges and is developing affordable, effective tools and mechanisms such as this algorithm so that everyone can benefit.”
Lisa Webley, Professor of Empirical Legal Studies at the University of Westminster Law School, added: “Working with AccessSolicitor.com provides our students with the opportunity to get industry experience and helps to further develop their expertise in areas such as family law, wills, neighbourhood disputes and welfare benefits.
“Many in the profession are unsure about how to get the best out of the internet and digital marketing, and none more so than smaller firms who do not have the resources of much larger organisations. The algorithm we are developing with AccessSolicitor.com could change all that for good and also facilitate access to legal help and advice for clients.”
Under the partnership, the University of Westminster Law School will analyse academic research on how and why consumers and small businesses select lawyers. AccessSolicitor.com will then use that research to develop relevant features and to structure the initial algorithm formula.
The first version of the algorithm is scheduled to be running by the first quarter of 2014. The formula’s development, however, will be a continuous and ongoing process as the algorithm constantly learns and adapts according to user behaviour.
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For more information on AccessSolicitor.com, please contact:
Warren Smith, chief executive
(07982) 393 149 or warren.smith@accesssolicitor.com
Abigail Townsend, PR manager
abigail.townsend@accesssolicitor.com
To speak to Professor Lisa Webley at the University of Westminster, please contact:
Sarah Evans-Toyne, Lianne Robinson or Chiara Barreca
Broadgate Mainland
(020) 7726 6111 or westminster@broadgatemainland.com
Notes to editors
About AccessSolicitor.com
- AccessSolicitor.com is an online directory that allows regulated legal professionals to promote themselves to consumers as well as small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).
- The database, which includes solicitors, direct access barristers, licensed conveyancers and legal executives, totals 12,972 regulated legal professionals.
- AccessSolicitor.com uses a website architecture that helps maximise the number of visitors to the site, and already provides a number of unique features to help match individuals searching for legal services with the most suitable lawyer.
- All AccessSolicitor.com’s services are currently free for consumers and SMEs.
About the University of Westminster
The University of Westminster boasts a vibrant learning environment attracting more than 20,000 students from over 150 nations and we continue to invest in our future with new developments, research projects and new ideas.
We offer highly attractive practice-based courses that are independently rated as excellent, many with international recognition. Our distinguished 175-year history means we lead the way in many areas of research, particularly politics, media, art and design, architecture and biomedical sciences, and our position in the city of London allows us to continue to build on our close connections with leading figures and organisations in these areas as well as in the worlds of business, information technology, politics and law.
Our commitment to educating graduates for the needs of professional life attracts high quality students from within the UK and around the globe.
Internationalism, employability and sustainability are key elements in the University of Westminster’s vision for the future and we strive to ensure the very highest standards are met and maintained.
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