Cloud is a reality in many practices today. Tools that seemed daring and innovative a few years ago have become staples of the day-to-day practice of law. And yet many lawyers continue to worry about the ethical ramifications of moving their sensitive client data to the cloud.
According to the soon-to-be-released 2014 Legal Technology Survey Report, approximately 57% of responding lawyers reported that they have not used a cloud-based solution in their practice, and around a quarter of those respondents specifically noted a lack of ethical guidance as a reason.
For those lawyers, there may be good news: the number of jurisdictions addressing cloud computing continues to grow, and they consistently find cloud computing acceptable as long as reasonable care is exercised.
Since we last updated our Cloud Ethics Opinion Comparison Chart, five new relevant opinions have been issued. They are:
- Connecticut – Informal Opinion 2013-07
- Florida – Opinion 12-3
- Ohio – Informal Advisory Opinion 2013-03
- Virginia – Legal Ethics Opinion 1872
- Washington – Advisory Opinion 2215
In addition, Maine has supplemented earlier Opinion 194 — which focused primarily on electronic storage of data — with a new opinion directly addressing cloud computing.
- Maine – Opinion 207
You can view brief summaries of these and other cloud ethics opinions on our comparison chart: Cloud Ethics Opinions Around the U.S.
See one we missed? Let us know!