TechnoLawyer: Practice Management/Calendars

Coming today to Answers to Questions: Katrina Hubbard explains the difference between appointments and tasks, Edward Zohn discusses how QuickBooks fared during a recent audit of his trusts accounts, Jeff Lisson lists the top five reasons to switch from analog to digital dictation, D. Paul Dalton reviews Nuance's PDF Converter Pro 5, and Derrick Jackson reviews Onfolio for organizing Web research. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a Web-based litigation planning application (see article below), a site for sharing PowerPoint presentations, software that connects Microsoft Exchange and Interwoven WorkSite, an eDiscovery network appliance for collection and review, and a mobile discovery application for BlackBerry and iPhone. Don't miss the next issue.

Plan Early and Often and Win More Cases
By Neil J. Squillante

Alan Lakein once quipped, "Failing to plan is planning to fail." Litigators who fail to plan often find themselves reacting to their opponent (playing defense) rather than dictating the course of events (playing offense). But is failing to plan the fault of litigators? Not entirely. Despite the increasing complexity of litigation (eDiscovery anyone?), most project management systems focus on disciplines such as architecture, software development, etc. One company is determined to bridge this gap.

TrialSchedule ... in One Sentence
TrialSchedule is a Web-based application that provides litigation teams with a visual Gantt view of the deadlines and tasks associated with their cases.

The Killer Feature
Whether you use Outlook or a practice management application, your calendar does an excellent job of informing you about your daily activities. But what about long-range planning? Not so much.

TrialSchedule features a patented Gantt view that displays all the events associated with your cases visually on one screen. At a glance, you can see the phase of each case and important todos and milestones.

Other Notable Features
TrialSchedule provides two main screens. In addition to the Gantt chart and accompanying todos noted above, it also displays your personal todos plotted on a graph by deadline and importance so you can prioritize.

You can focus on a particular case, a particular phase of several cases, etc. by using the sorting tool. You can also print any chart, email it in PDF format, or download the data in Excel format.

TrialSchedule has a number of enhancements that further add value to the core features. For example, you can set up email triggers to remind you of todos, alert you about deadlines, and keep you apprised of work performed by colleagues.

You can also append notes and attach documents to any entry in TrialSchedule. For example, you could add the contact information for a court reporter to a deposition, or attach a court's rules on motions to a deadline for a motion.

Perhaps most importantly, you can create Phase Templates if you often handle cases in the same court. These templates incorporate the court's rules so that with one click you can set up a new case in that court with all the correct deadlines.

What Else Should You Know?
TrialSchedule works in all major browsers on Macs and PCs. Pricing starts at $57/month for up to 5 users. Every plan includes telephone support, unlimited email alerts, and all new features — plus there's no software to install. Learn more about TrialSchedule.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to Fat Friday: Fraser Page discusses ProLaw and its place in the small firm market, Andrew Weltchek lists seven products he couldn't practice without, Tom Trottier shares some smartphone memory card and remote access tips, Tom O'Connor directs readers to a video with a humorous take on spam, and Hugh Roberts reviews Wrike — plus the question of the week. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to Answers to Questions: David Hudgens discusses his firm's switch from Time Matters to PCLaw, Andrea Phelps reviews the Herman Miller Aeron chair and her HON modular desk system, Carol Bratt reviews Timeslips tech support and the program's learning curve (and Timeslips responds), Brian Cluxton reviews Dell's on-site warranty and service, and Susan Billeaud explains how to tame iTunes on a PC. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a Web-based case management application (see article below), a mobile billing application, software that automates document drafting, a PDF annotation tool, and an add-on utility for the iPhone Mail app. Don't miss the next issue.

Case Management Hits the Web
By Neil J. Squillante

Did you feel that? No, it wasn't an earthquake. But the ground shifted. Web applications have arrived. It all started with that search box on Amazon and then Google. Webmail and online banking proved that you could manage highly sensitive information online. Law firms embraced intranets, extranets, and other lightweight applications. The next logical step? Practice management.

Caseload ... in One Sentence
Blackletter's Caseload is a secure Web-based case management system for solo practitioners and small law firms.

The Killer Feature
It's about time. Your practice that is. Not only do you bill your time, but the order in which events transpire also plays a key role.

Caseload offers lawyers a timeline-driven project management system. Every matter has its own timeline in which you and your colleagues can add events, documents, to-dos, issue outlines, and more, thus creating a dashboard from which you can see everything associated with a matter.

In ye olden days, a case file served a similar purpose — but with a fraction of the functionality. For example, Caseload displays information about upcoming deadlines, current todo items, and co-worker activity all in one place on the matter dashboard.

Other Notable Features
In addition to project management, you'll also find contact management, shared calendars, to-do lists, billing, and document management. Caseload also offers a system-wide search function for finding what you need.

All the functions integrate. For example adding an event to a matter's timeline also adds it to your calendar and vice versa. The contacts database lists the related matters for each contact. Etc.

Outlines never enjoyed mainstream success probably because most people don't write much. But lawyers love outlines because they write a lot. Knowing this, Blackletter built a hierarchical outliner into Caseload. You can quickly move items around and tag entries with issues. Like everything else in Caseload, you can attach outlines to projects so that they'll show up in your dashboard and timeline.

What Else Should You Know?
Caseload works in all major Web browsers on Macs and PCs. It does not require any up-front costs or any software installation. As you would expect, Caseload protects your data and transmissions using bank-grade encryption. Caseload offers four subscription plans ranging in price from $5/month for 3 users and 10 active matters to $50/month for unlimited users and matters. Learn more about Caseload.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to Answers to Questions: Roger Mullins reviews his firm's experience using Nuance's Dictaphone system and provides a few tips for those looking into digital dictation, Kevin Giberson reviews the BlackBerry Storm from a Treo user's perspective, Theodore Stein discusses why reformatting a hard drive won't protect you, David Caracappa reviews the ScrapBook Firefox extension, and Jon Manchester shares his thoughts on Reveal Codes and deleting text in Word and WordPerfect. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a mobile Web portal for Time Matters (see article below), an online backup solution, a tool for creating Web forms, a utility for saving YouTube videos, and a freeform database for the iPhone. Don't miss the next issue.

Take Time Matters Everywhere You Go
By Neil J. Squillante

It's nice to squeeze your own orange juice or brew your own coffee, but you don't always have time. Similarly, you may not always have time to synchronize Time Matters with your smartphone. And depending on which smartphone you use, you may not be able to sync all your Time Matters data, just the portions that Outlook understands.

MobileTM ... in One Sentence
Developed by Data Equity and sold by OTB Consulting, MobileTM is a Web portal that enables you to access your Time Matters data in real-time on any Web-enabled smartphone.

The Killer Feature

The smartphone revolution presents Time Matters users with a problem. For example, although you can use Outlook as a conduit for synchronization, it doesn't support many of the data types in Time Matters. Furthermore, wireless synchronization requires an investment in software such as BlackBerry Enterprise Server or Microsoft Exchange.

MobileTM addresses this problem by focusing on Web services. You don't install any software on your smartphone nor do you need to sync. Instead, MobileTM makes your Time Matters data available securely over the Internet. You simply access it from your mobile Web browser. As an added benefit, your firm need not standardize on one smartphone.

"A firm that uses Time Matters cannot afford to be without MobileTM," OTB Consulting Managing Partner Tom Rowe told us. "Real-time access to data is essential in today's on-demand world."

Other Notable Features

MobileTM resides at your firm, and does not require Microsoft Exchange or any software or hardware other than your existing Time Matters installation.

MobileTM is compatible with the major Web-enabled smartphone platforms, including BlackBerry, iPhone, Palm, Symbian, and Windows Mobile.

You can choose up to 16 record types to make available to your mobile users, including user-defined records in Time Matters 9. You can also customize the manner in which the information is displayed.

MobileTM supports both quick searches and full-text searches. It will begin presenting a list of hits as you type. If you pull up a contact or matter, you can see all related records such as events, notes, phone calls, and todos. You can also dial phone numbers directly from MobileTM.

What Else Should You Know?
MobileTM costs $300 per year for the server and administration tools plus $100 per user per year. You need not purchase a license for every Time Matters user in your firm, only those who need mobile access. For example, five MobileTM users works out to $160 per user per year. Learn more about MobileTM.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming November 20, 2008 to Answers to Questions: Scott Bassett reviews the Asus Eee mini-notebook pre-installed with Linux and all the apps therein, Kristin LaMont shares the two reasons why her firm still uses QuickBooks, Lee Samis reviews his firm's move to Time Matters, Thomas F. McDow explains how to generate tables of authorities and contents in WordPerfect, and Daniel Fennick reviews syncing his BlackJack II smartphone with Outlook and PracticeMaster. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to Answers to Questions: David Hudgens discusses his firm's switch from Time Matters to PCLaw, Judy Overholt reviews the installation and tech support for Amicus Attorney 7 versus AbacusLaw, Thomas Bower reviews RTG Bills for time-billing, Neal Frishberg explains why he switched to dictation digital, and Cathy Kenton shares a unique way to get fit and work at the same time. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming October 30, 2008 to Answers to Questions: Carolyn Thornlow explains how to use the Calendar Plan Template in PracticeMaster, Jonathan Steen reviews the Philips Digital Pocket Memo 9360 (now 9370), Brant Gluth shares a method for creating strong but easy to memorize passwords, Edward Zohn discusses free online calendars versus Microsoft Exchange, and Ed Walters reviews the Public Library of Law. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.