TechnoLawyer: Email/Messaging/Telephony

Originally published on May 11, 2009 in our free SmallLaw newsletter.

In my last two columns, I introduced the idea of the MDTR — the "Minimum Daily Technology Requirements" for every solo and small firm's technology needs.

Part 1 discussed hardware needs.

Part 2 discussed software needs.

This third and final segment explores some important ancillary subjects from electrical protection to choosing and using consultants.

MDTR: Electrical Protection

UPS and Surge Protectors

Round out the MDTR for hardware with a battery backup such as the cost effective APC Back-UPS 500 for around $100 to provide both surge protection and electrical backup in the event of power dips or short outages without crashing your PC.

Plug all other components like your printer into professional grade surge protection from companies like APC, Tripplite, or Belkin (general rule — if a "surge protector" is under $15, skip it — not enough protection — you want a stated rating of "surge clamping capacity" of 700 "joules" or better).

Mobile Surge Protectors

Mobile lawyers should always plug their laptops/netbooks into a portable surge protector. Three suitable models include:

Tripplite Traveler ($20)

APC Notebook SurgeArrest ($20)

Belkin Mini Surge Protector with USB Charger ($25)

MDTR: Routers, Switches, Firewalls and Such

A dizzying array of network gear exists for sharing Internet connections (routers and switches), and for keeping the "bad guys" out (firewalls). Some devices even offer the trifecta of shared Internet connectivity, firewalling, and WiFi wireless capabilities. So for simplicity's sake, we'll list one model and discuss the topic more fully at another time.

One possible approach (among many — I could write 50 pages on this subject alone) would be the Netgear FWG114p PROSAFE 802.11G wireless firewall 4 port 10/100 network switch and USB print server. Quite a mouthful, but the gist of it is that it provides Internet sharing, wireless capability, network firewall functions, and network connectivity for about $125.

Extend the network ports with any other 10/100 (Fast Ethernet) switch. If you have a larger budget and proper cabling throughout your firm, consider Gigabit Ethernet.

MDTR: Smartphone

Why would anyone want to practice law without one? Clients, especially in this tight economy, expect you to have this capability (like it or not). I don't care what you have as long as it integrates with the MDTR software list — integrating as easily as possible with your practice management system of choice and Outlook 2007. So whether it's a BlackBerry, an iPhone, a Treo/Centro/(soon to be available) Pre model from Palm, or a Windows Mobile-equipped device, any smartphone is better than, well ... a dumb-phone.

The ultimate selection criterion for any smartphone should be a positive answer to the question: "Does this device easily integrate/synchronize with my software systems?"

MDTR: Virtualize Yourself v. Adding Staff and Paid Services

Think about a Virtual Assistant — to help with anything and everything including your dictation transcription (yes, dictations can be efficient, especially with a digital approach). The be all, end all is probably LegalTypist, the brainchild of master virtual assistant Andrea Cannavina.

A laundry list of tools for your MDTR arsenal:

FreeConferenceCall.com: Never pay a cent for conference calling.

Internet-based PC Faxing: MaxEmail, MyFax, or RapidFax. You'll need a scanner to make the most of these services. Physical fax machines are so 1990s.

Phones: Skype (free Internet-based phone services). Also OneBox for a "virtual PBX" phone system (large firm phone functionality, small firm budget).

Jott: "Digital sticky notes for your brain."

Google Voice: Keeps you connected no matter where you are.

Google Apps: Gmail offers the best Web mail on the planet with the most storage and Google searchability.

MDTR: Daily Dosage of Legal Tech Smarts

Being a legal technopeasant in 2009 just doesn't cut it any longer — clients won't tolerate it or subsidize tech ignorance or lack of general sophistication.

In addition to continuing to read SmallLaw (thank you) and TechnoLawyer's other newsletters, check out the following resources as well:

• Get a free subscription to Law Technology News and scan it carefully each month.

• If you're an ABA member, join the GP|Solo Division and the Law Practice Management Section if for no other reason than to read their terrific magazines and ezines monthly.

• Also, look to the tremendous selection of practice management and technology books offered by the ABA Law Practice Management Section and the ABA GP|Solo Division.

• Subscribe to The Firm — otherwise known as the ABA's Solosez listserver for lively daily discussion of tech, practice management, and all aspects of small firm life with 4000+ fellow SSF lawyers and staffers. You don't have to be an ABA member to join.

MDTR: Putting It All Together

Find a capable, competent, legal-focused and legal-experienced consultant to manage a proper implementation. Don't attempt a DIY (do it yourself) approach. Do the economic math. Even in tight times, you can't afford it.

Practice smart, make more money, exceed client expectations with better work product quality and faster turnaround times at a reasonable price and above all, have more fun in practice. The MDTR will help get you there — cost-effectively — just the digital prescription for these tough and trying times.

Written by Ross Kodner of MicroLaw.

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Coming today to Fat Friday: Bob Walsh explains the importance of filing email by case plus he reviews FileCenter and MozyPro, Elaine Dowling describes her backup routine and how it has improved her practice, former large firm lawyer Robert Brouillette offers advice to other "large firm refugees" going out on their own, Edward Zohn reviews Western Digital enterprise-grade hard drives, and Tom Trottier shares his take on the world's first laptop. Don't miss this issue.

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Originally published on April 27, 2009 in our free SmallLaw newsletter.

In my last column, I introduced the idea of the MDTR — the "Minimum Daily Technology Requirements" for every solo and small firm's technology needs. My first column discussed hardware needs. This column focuses on the application and utility software a small practice needs.

MDTR: Major Applications

Beyond the choice of either or both Microsoft Office 2007 and the Corel WordPerfect X4 suite (both if you wish to be "word processing ambidextrous" which can make a great deal of sense for many firms), the following categories of applications comprise the Minimum Daily Technology Requirements for the standalone PC:

Adobe Acrobat Standard or Pro: Not some ersatz Acrobat-wannabe, the real thing — get it bundled with your PC, or with a scanner to save money on this item.

Practice Management System: Any practice management system is better than none. After 24 years of thinking about this, I am now ready to unequivocally state that every law practice needs one (even if you don't realize it!).

If you have clients and cases, you have information that needs to be managed, period. Outlook is just not capable enough so look into Amicus Attorney, PCLaw, PracticeMaster, Time Matters, or even the Web-based Clio, Rocket Matter or VLO systems. Find a well-referenced, solidly-credentialed independent consultant to help you decide and then implement.

(My only remaining concerns about Web-based, or SaaS (Software as a Service) systems is the general lack of ability to function entirely offline, if you lose Internet connectivity. Clio has taken the first step in this direction with offline time entry, but this isn't enough as far as I'm concerned.)

Document/Email Management: Practicing without a DMS means self-inflicted torture in terms of wasted otherwise billable time when you cannot find prior work product or are inundated with massive amounts of email. Worldox leads the pack after 20+ years in cost-effective ($395/person) small-firm friendly document/email management that tightly integrates with the major practice management systems (which might have some built-in document/email management abilities, but these are insufficient for most firms).

Legal Billing/Bookkeeping: Ideally, your billing system should work with your practice management system — with the PracticeMaster/Tabs3 combination being the standout because Tabs3 as the billing component outdistances the abilities of competitive systems and their built-in billing modules. Kudos to the Web-based products for solid and simple billing/bookkeeping as well. Second best would be the PCLaw system, which is more simplistic on the practice management side, but still a reasonably-priced integrated contender. Systems that integrate with QuickBooks Pro can be a major plus if your accountant wants QuickBooks data files to keep your accounting costs down.

Outlook 2007: This industry-standard application should be your emailer of choice, integrated with a practice management system. Attempting to handle your email needs inside of any practice management system will quickly overwhelm that program's database. Let Outlook do the heavy-lifting for email management and "connect" case/practice-related emails from Outlook to your practice manager via Worldox's extraordinary, click, drag, click approach to doing so.

MDTR: Utilities

Utilities — little programs that tie everything together:

Protection Suites: Trend Micro Internet Security suite (or the Pro version). Why? It's the least likely to interfere with legitimate program operation. Avoid Symantec/Norton and McAfee products — by far the most intrusive and system-destabilizing of such products. Your software firewall will come from this suite, or firewalling will come from a router/switch/firewall hardware product (watch for my "MDTR: Networks" suggestions in a future column).

Moffsoft Freecalc: This free calculator replaces the brain-dead Windows calculator. It has a scrollable "tape" — the missing link.

7Zip: This free utility handles ZIP/UnZIP file needs.

Zscreen: Need to capture information from screens to include in your Word and PowerPoint files? Grabbing charts and illustrations from Web sites? Windows Ctrl-Prtscn function has an IQ in the high single digits, able to capture only an entire screen. Zscreen, also free, has many of the advanced features of more costly screen capture tools such as Techsmith's excellent $50 SnagIt tool.

Metadata Assistant and Numbering Assistant: At $160 for the pair, both are essential "Word Sanity/Safety" tools for metadata removal and sanity in using auto-paragraph/bullet list/outlining functions in Word.

CrossEyes: From Levit & James, this utility adds "Reveal Codes" functionality to Word ($30).

Anagram for Outlook: This $35 utility adds names and addresses in your email to Outlook (which can then sync to your practice management system) literally with two keystrokes. Build up that address book for marketing/business development purposes as well as pulling this information into labels, envelopes, and correspondence.

Xobni: This utility adds several functions to Outlook that Microsoft should have built. These include the ability to group all the messages in a conversation together, instead of having to hope to find them while scattered across multiple mailboxes, and the Inbox and Sent Items folders. In addition, you can see all the attachments received from any sender. Add some fascinating statistical tracking about the people who send you messages and the ability to generate "smart scheduling" messages to send to any sender, and you've got the makings of an invaluable Outlook tool. And free is tough to argue with.

TweetDeck: This free Twitter-focused utility makes participating in the growing social networking phenomenon practical. It replaces the bare-bones native Twitter interface with a multi-columned Twittering tool that makes the micro-blogging system's constant flow of 140 character "Tweets" manageable. You can have columns showing the Tweets of all those you "follow", as well as Replies, Direct Messages and the most powerful element, Tweets that match a specific Twitter "search." So you could have a column showing all Tweets that mention your name or firm name. Don't Twitter without Tweetdeck.

OutTwit and FBLook: From TechHit, OutTwit adds itself to the Outlook toolbar to enable sending Tweets and receiving/organizing them inside of Outlook. This is a further step towards making Outlook a comprehensive communications hub. FBLook lets you update your Facebook status, see your friend statuses, and see the number of new requests without having to open a browser. Both products are free.

In my next column, I'll wrap up my MDTR recommendations with a look at electrical protection, smartphones, virtualization of a small practice's resources, outsourcing, and using consultants effectively.

Written by Ross Kodner of MicroLaw.

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Coming today to Answers to Questions: Leon Gary reviews the BlackBerry Storm, Kevin Dunn reviews Time Matters 9.0 and LexisNexis' tech support, Harrell Z. Browning shares his experience switching to a MacBook Pro (and how he still runs his PC-only programs), Edward Zohn reviews ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite, and Carol Gerber provides an update regarding which Table of Authorities software that LexisNexis supports. Don't miss this issue.

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Coming today to Fat Friday: Ross Kodner discusses the downside of Software as a Service practice management, Jay Geary reviews NEC's PBX digital phone system and the vendor his firm used, George Lazar reviews Amicus Mobile, Aaron Morris shares a workaround for using WordPerfect on multiple monitors, and William Tait explains why lawyers should leave the technology tinkering to the IT professionals. Don't miss this issue.

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Originally published on March 30, 2009 in our free SmallLaw newsletter.

Twitter, the love-child of email and text messaging, exploded on the scene in 2007 and is growing at a rate matched only by the hyperactive media coverage surrounding it.

Buzz this intense usually stems from "irrational exuberance" so you might wonder whether Twitter, and close cousin FriendFeed, are fads. To find out, review what these technologies do, and then read some actual Twitter streams for examples of what they can do for you.

No Shortage of Ideas

Ideas for the use of Twitter abound, with more being dreamed up every day. Many uses have already become free software that you can try right on the Web. Such applications generally fall into one or more of the following categories:

1. Those that harness information posted by existing users to deliver custom-updates or power a more comprehensive application.

Example: Twittervision — Tweets pop-up and show a user's location in real-time.

2. Those that apply the lessons of Twitter in a private environment — usually with a proprietary twist relating to security.

Example: Yammer and Presently are Twitter-like services for businesses with enhanced security for private group communication.

3. Those that combine the immediacy of Twitter with the always-on capacity of cell phones and GPS technology.

Example: Twinkle alerts friends and colleagues of your location via Twitter.

The three categories take advantage of Twitter's core features — short messages, easy sending, instant feedback, easy customization. In essence, Twitter is whatever you want it to be.

But What About Us?

I've been thinking about what kinds of Twitter applications would suit my practice. I can already bill via Twitter, update my calendar via Twitter, and remind myself of useful links via Twitter, but nobody has really hit the bulls-eye when it comes to creating lawyer-friendly third-party Twitter applications.

For what it's worth, I'd like to see the following three applications (all names and descriptions are mine — to my knowledge these applications don't exist yet):

1. CaseTweet: Cases get their own Twitter identities that users can "follow." Public events such as filings, hearings, court deadlines, and the identity of parties and other lawyers on the case, could all be contained in its feed. Each lawyer's office could also enhance and combine information for a more complete picture of case activity — a la FriendFeed.


2. DocketTweet: Being #25 on the 10:00 call in one courtroom means you can show up at 10:30, but show up one minute late in another courtroom and the Judge will have already called your case and dismissed it for want of prosecution. What to do? This application would count down the cases preceding yours and let you know when yours is about to be called. Priceless.


3. TweetMinder: I'd like to see this application most of all. Combine location-awareness with calendar information and to-do's. The result: once you reach your destination the application tweets about each of the things you have to do there. Voila: instant schedule. Bonus: it will also find other lawyers on any of your cases if they're in the building. If you want to meet them you can send a quick tweet.

The Verdict

Sure Twitter and FriendFeed (which is really just a combination of multiple feeds) have applications for attorneys. We just have to create and use them. If we do, the sky's the limit. If you develop any Twitter applications in your office be sure to let me know. Happy tweeting everyone!

Written by Mazyar M. Hedayat of M. Hedayat & Associates, P.C.

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Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers an online videoconferencing service (see article below), an Outlook add-on for billing the time you spend reading and writing email, a backup and synchronization utility, a multiuser accounting system, and a Web clipping tool. Don't miss the next issue.

Smile, You're on Your Client's PC

Pity your barber. Sure, he can advertise on the Internet, but he can't cut someone's hair in Boston if he works in Columbus. You, on the other hand, can provide legal services to clients anywhere in the world, not just in your town. But still, local lawyers will always have an advantage. Or will they?

SightSpeed … in One Sentence
Logitech's SightSpeed is an online videoconferencing service.

The Killer Feature
Lots of free online videoconferencing software exists, but with feature limitations and poor quality audio or video. These applications may work fine for video chats with granny, but what about a three-way conference call with your client and an expert witness?

SightSpeed promises high-quality video not just when videoconferencing with one person, but with up to eight other people, each in a different location. Take that Hollywood Squares.

Other Notable Features
SightSpeed supports audio and text communication in addition to videoconferencing. SightSpeed to SightSpeed calls are free, but you can also call regular telephone numbers for rates around 2 cents/minute. SightSpeed can provide a log of all calls, which you can use to create time entries.

SightSpeed also provides asynchronous communication, meaning that you can email video messages. You can store such videos for repeat use (e.g., welcoming a new client). SightSpeed can also record videoconferences.

In addition to communicating, you can use SightSpeed to share an application or your desktop and exchange files.

What Else Should You Know?
With SightSpeed's administrative console, you can add new users and also create a firm-wide contact list. SightSpeed works on Macs and Windows PCs. A single seat sells for $19.95/month or $189.95/year. The price per user declines as you buy more seats. Learn more about SightSpeed.

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