Intranet first for group of North East law firms

A PIONEERING group of 22 law firms in the North East has set up what they claim to be the first Intranet system among a professional group.

Under the scheme, law firm members of the Northern Business Forum, a group set up to promote business in the North East, have all installed the Intranet system, ProNet North.

David Laud, marketing manager at Middlesborough firm Jacksons, who oversaw the project, said the Intranet site has been visited 600 times since it opened two weeks ago.

Laud said the site was being used by solicitors for everything from arranging golf to transferring documents electronically. He added that barristers' chambers and courts could "easily" be linked up to the system.

He said he anticipated court listings being placed on the site in the future and predicted the Intranet would play an important role in stengthening ties between firms in the group. Laud is also setting up a sub group of law firms' marketing managers to generate new ideas.

The system is to be run by Jacksons for a non profit-making subscription fee, and future plans include extending it to non-law businesses and to other law firms in the North East.

It is reached by using a password after accessing Web site www.jacksons.law.co.uk.