MORE lawyers use the Internet for their work than have mobile phones.

The first annual survey on lawyers' working lives conducted by Mori for the UK's leading professional publisher, LexisNexis Butterworths Tolley, shows a legal profession in transition.

The Legal Index paints a somewhat different image to that of the stereotyped, old-fashioned, cliquey legal world. Competition from outside the legal sector and the need for increased commercial awareness are driving the legal industry to embrace IT to offer clients better service and boost profitability. Although some solicitors still prefer paper-based information, the majority believe they would benefit from more technology at work. However 58 per cent of solicitors said they did not have the time to learn the skills they need.

Almost half those surveyed use online newsletters and online subscriptions to keep up with developments in their profession, with 77 per cent believing online subscriptions to be more current and up to date than those which are paper-based.

Other survey findings showed that 91 per cent of lawyers felt their public image to be a pressing concern, and 80 per cent felt the issue of self-regulation for the profession was important.