These days, whether you practice at a small law firm or one of the nation’s largest, you have access to more data than ever. As a result, an increasingly relevant part of your job is figuring out what matters versus what’s just numbers.
Data analysis allows you to uncover what’s truly important, whether you’re working on a simple breach-of-contract case or a multi-state class-action litigation. This, in turn, can increase your chances of winning and satisfying more clients.
Essentially, with data analysis, you take what might seem like an overwhelming amount of information and make it simpler to understand. You also uncover details that aren’t immediately obvious with just a basic review of your available information.
This then helps you reach decisions that you can leverage to accomplish a goal, whether you’re looking to create stronger legal strategies or even improve your law firm’s profitability.
To see tangible results, the key is to focus on each of the following 5 steps:
1. Start with the right question. The easiest way to find the right question is to begin with your problem. For instance, let’s say you’re working on a nursing home abuse case and need to evaluate if there was legally enough staff coverage.
Asking the right question in this situation could focus on the amount of staff on duty, so you gain clarity for your litigation. Just make sure your question is as clear as possible.
2. Determine what to measure and how you want to measure it. Simply put, what data do you need to answer your question from Step 1? In the above example, maybe you want to see and compare the time card data for the nursing homes in question.
Keep in mind, you must determine how you’re measuring, too. Are you reviewing over a certain time frame? What’s your unit of measure? Set your guidelines and then look back at the data based on your chosen factors.
3. Gather your data. Of course, this varies based on the question(s) you want to answer. You likely have a number of preferred databases or sources that you already use — so start there.
Also, consider going beyond electronic sources. Speak with experts in areas related to your question, keeping in mind that an interview template or researched questions can save you time. If you work with other attorneys or paralegals, delegate these tasks when appropriate.
4. Analyze your data. With this step, you look at the data you collected and try to find insights that you didn’t notice before. Again, be objective as possible, recognizing that you may need to collect more data.
You want to sort and filter your data to account for different variables, too. (Microsoft Excel is a great tool for this task.) Remember, also, to account for objections that come up from your data analysis. So think beyond just your primary question from Step 1.
5. Interpret your results. At this point, don’t just determine if what you found answers your goal question. Instead, dig into how the data answers your goal question. Of course, there’s those potential objections, too. So review how your data addresses criticisms that might come up.
From here, your final step is to determine your course of action. Are there any limitations that you didn’t consider? How will you use what you discovered to prove a solution to your identified problem?
This is where visual representation can help you. Items such as eye-catching charts and graphs are an effective way to present findings in a concise manner. They make it easy to understand what you’re sharing and highlight proven points from your legal strategy.
We provide you with a free data review, so you can start making sense of what’s possible with your data. That way you can begin putting together a game plan for uncovering key insights and developing even stronger legal strategies.