Canadian Lawyer

18 A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m T E C H S U P P O RT O P I N I O N As an advocate of greater and better use of technology in law, I've started to wonder whether all of this distraction should force us to re-evaluate how we approach technology in our industry. This question struck me with some urgency recently after reading Cal New- port's latest book, Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. Newport defines deep work as "profes- sional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit." Deep work is what some call "getting in the flow" or "in the zone." It's that balance between being chal- lenged and being bored; it's looking up and realizing that hours have flown by while you have been concentrating on a deep task. Clearly, much legal work is cog- nitively demanding and requires the ability to harness years of training and expertise in complex subjects. Lawyers, like other consultants, are often spe- cifically instructed by clients to deeply focus on a specific issue or problem that they don't have the resources or the time to concentrate on themselves. And, as I've written about before, the simpler, routine tasks in law are slowly but surely being automated away. The paradox that Newport highlights is that while deep work is increasingly important in a world of automation and outsourcing, it is also becoming harder to do because of all of the distracting technology we surround ourselves with. We've all been warned about the perils (or complete ineffectiveness) of multi-tasking: "Multitasking Dam- ages Your Brain and Career" suggests one Forbes article; "How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking" suggests the Har- vard Business Review. Multitasking is a myth, however. Apparently, what we do is switch between tasks very rapidly; we're not actually paying attention to two or more things simultaneously. We flick between tasks instead. The experts quoted in Newport's book talk about the 20 minutes of "attention residue" that travel with us as we switch between tasks. We may not even be aware of it, but part of our brain is still focused on the previous task. That's why it can take so long to get deep into a piece of work again once we've been interrupted. These social and networking apps, and the never-ending drama of our he evidence is all around us: the inability to stand in a queue and embrace the boredom; the need to be entertained in some way every 15 minutes. So, we flick through the Distraction Apps on our phones: Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Medium, Instagram, Globe and Mail. Grab the headlines, be distracted, entertained, and fill those few quiet moments. This flicking, the modern equivalent of channel surfing, is getting more and more pervasive in our working lives, too: Getting through an hour's meet- ing without checking e-mail becomes a feat of modern-day self-control. And law professors (and anyone who gets to lead student workshops inside our firms) report that students seem unable to get through a lecture without check- ing their phones multiple times. Tech as a disruptor of concentration In order to do valuable deep legal work, you need to take charge of how you use technology before it takes charge of you. By Kate Simpson T @k8simpson

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