TechnoLawyer: Practice Management/Calendars

Coming November 1, 2007 to Answers to Questions: David Hudgens reviews his experience using Time Matters and PCLaw, Michael Gabriel reviews eCopy Desktop for converting PDF files to Word/WordPerfect (and more), John Courtade explains how he uses Pivot Pro to switch from landscape to portrait mode on his multiple monitors, Sanjay Singh provides some tips for managing case-related email in Outlook, and Malcolm Gregson reviews Legalmaster for time-billing and user-defined case management. Don't miss this issue.

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Published 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 25, 2007 to Answers to Questions: Wandal Winn discusses password risks and provides some tips, Brett Burney explains how to link exhibits to transcripts, Rob Howard explains how to set up Amicus Attorney to sync with Palm Treo, Rudy Ramsey reviews Port Authority2 USB 2.0 to SVGA adapter, and Miriam Jacobson discusses how she immediately captures her time and archives her client email. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published 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 26, 2007 to Fat Friday: Robert Rice reviews the conflict checking abilities of Amicus Attorney, Candace Carponter reviews the Web billing application Bill4Time, David Garretson reviews Mocha Remote Client for the Treo 650 as well as shares some handheld security tips, Sarkis Babachanian explains why he can't switch to an iPhone just yet, and Kevin Grierson provides an update on the AllofMP3 saga. Don't miss this issue.

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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.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a secure online storage service (see below), software that can digitize your paper forms and send the data into your legacy applications, and a practice management program for Mac users. Don't miss the next issue.

Three Steps to a Paperless Office
By Taeho Lim

You can never be too thin. That's a lie. Just ask Esther Canadas. You can never be too rich. That's also a lie if you don't want fame along with your fortune. You can never have enough storage or too little paper. Bingo!

File123's eponymous online service promises the most elusive of all technology promises — the paperless law office. As its name implies, File123 boils the storage process down to three steps: transfer digital files from your computer via upload or email, scan, or fax your paper documents, and then organize and back up your vault contents.

The functionality of File123 revolves around its searchable, sortable, sendable, and secure online file repository. To search for the file you need, enter a keyword and File123 looks for that term(s) and lists the relevant files. Add more files via fax, scan, email, or Web browser, or just drop them into File123's network drive application. When you need to share files, choose what you want to send and either email your recipients an attachment or a link that leads to a secure download page on the Web.

File123 also features a "Dashboard" from which you can add files, review recent account activity, and manage your folders. You add, delete, and reorganize folders just as you would on your Mac or PC — just drag and drop files and folders. Finally, File123 features 256-bit browser security to ensure that no one but you can access your storage vault.

A File123 account gives you 1 GB of free storage. Upgrading to a 10 GB account costs $4.95/month. Other plans exist for those who need even more storage since, after all, you can never get enough. No word on an unlimited plan though. Learn more about File123.

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 October 18, 2007 to Answers to Questions: Neil Packard discusses the task of selecting an eDiscovery vendor, Pamela Coleman provides detailed instructions for annotating PDF files with Acrobat, Sandra Adams shares her insight on choosing a practice management solution, LexisNexis Product Manager Alan Tuback responds to a recent question about the link between PCLaw and Time Matters, and Peter Bender reviews the accounting capabilities of Amicus Small Firm. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published 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 litigation document review application (see below), a new legal accounting and billing program, and an online service that helps you schedule meetings more efficiently. Don't miss the next issue.

Your Ticket Out of the Document Gulag
By Taeho Lim

Back in the day, law firms that handled document-intensive cases would often lease an entire floor just to house the documents. Associates would dread being assigned to such cases as it meant spending all their time in these document gulags instead of in their plush offices. With the advent of eDiscovery, these floors have gradually disappeared, but document review remains a dreaded task because the number of documents has increased.

Inspicio from Altep aims to streamline the document review process. Inspicio is a Web-based solution that enables you to review documents from anywhere. According to Altep, Inspicio features high-level navigability, flexibility, and powerful analytical tools that help ensure accurate and efficient review.

Inspicio features a spacious "data repository" in which you can store document collections for multiple matters. Inspicio supports hundreds of different file formats so you can open files right away in their native format without having to convert them.

As you review documents, you can use Inspicio's tagging technology to organize them. For example, mark a file with "Responsive," "Privileged," "Jones Deposition," etc. You apply tags by simply checking a box. You can apply a tag to one document at a time or multiple documents simultaneously.

Inspicio also enables you to search across all documents in the application for any matter. You can use "Basic Search" for simple searches and "Query Builder" to conduct more complex, custom searches with the Inspicio interface.

Inspicio's advanced reporting helps you keep track of document collections and progress on projects and matters. The ToDo List function enables you to plan a review and assign its components to members of the team.

Regarding security, Inspicio features "user domains" and "access levels" to determine who can see, create, access, or edit certain files. In addition, you can track every user action in any part of the application. Finally, Inspicio has its own messaging system so you can communicate with other users. Messages stay within Inspicio to preserve confidentiality. Learn more about Inspicio.

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 October 11, 2007 to Answers to Questions: Robin Stickney reviews her firm's experience using SnapDone to manage case-related email, Steven Rosen reviews the VT Book PCMCIA card and UltraMon for multiple monitors, Brett Burney provides some helpful resources for legal professionals switching to a Mac, Software Technology Certified Reseller Katrina Curfiss clarifies some misconceptions about purchasing Tabs3 from a reseller, and Charlotte Quiroz reviews Password Plus for password management. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published 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 comprehensive eDiscovery suite (see below), a new case management program for small law firms, and a Web-based intranet/extranet application. Don't miss the next issue.

All-In-One eDiscovery and Document Review
By Taeho Lim

Wouldn't it be nice to tap into every type of document analysis or search tool available today? If you want to do that with your eDiscovery cases, you have two choices — use multiple single-function programs and hope you can get them to integrate with one another, or use a single multiple-function program that does everything. If the latter approach sounds better to you, check out Discovery360 from InterLegis.

Discovery360 aims to streamline the eDiscovery process by providing the functionality of multiple eDiscovery applications in one convenient package. Its functionality includes: eDiscovery culling and processing, document attribute and conceptual clustering, natural language search, Boolean search, similarity matching, metadata filtering, email threading, proactive relevancy alerts, native or TIFF review, real-time reviewer reporting, on-the-fly productions, bulk issue coding, and more.

With all these tools in one application, Discovery360 simplifies each of the steps in the eDiscovery process, enabling you to cull and process documents, store, manage, analyze, review, and produce them as needed.

For example, the new "DataMapper" module enables case administrators to cull relevant documents using a wide range of criteria — keywords, custodian, date ranges, concepts, relevant metadata, or just about anything else you specify. Culling can eliminate 20-80% of irrelevant files depending on the situation. DataMapper can find and eliminate duplicates, and can also run "What If" scenarios so that you can get a sense of how many documents a certain decision would remove before actually doing so. DataMapper provides real-time reports throughout the process, all the while giving you control of your data and saving money too.

Once you have your data set in place, Discovery360 makes all document attributes searchable, including keywords, concepts, all metadata, timelines, and document relationships. During this process, Discovery360 also places documents into concept folders, identifies and groups email threads and similar documents (near duplicates), etc. — all aimed at reducing your workload. You can also add relevant paper documents to the mix to maintain a single, normalized database. Learn more about Discovery360.

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.

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TechnoLawyer Problem/Solution Guide uses a question/answer format to help you find solutions to problems commonly encountered by law firms. It contains 185 solutions organized into 58 topics.

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Coming October 4, 2007 to Answers to Questions: Paul Purdue compares PracticeMaster, Time Matters, and Amicus Attorney, Brian Garves reviews RoboForm for password management, Pamela Coleman provides four helpful tips for printing temperamental documents, Anthony Vrsecky shares his firm's approach to trust accounting with QuickBooks, and Matt Baker sends in an update on his firm's clean install of Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 and its impact on PCLaw's performance. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published 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.